INVESTING IN THE COMMU
It ’ s not unusual to see uniformed police officers at the scene of a crime , at a crash site , or in marked cars patrolling the streets . You might be more surprised to find them at a city park cooking burgers and hotdogs , and serving them to community members . Officers and professional staff also participate in many other programs and initiatives to help build trust and support within the neighborhoods they serve — and to challenge people ’ s notions of what policing looks like .
Officers hosted the Arlington Police Bicycle Rodeo at Duff Elementary where kids learned bicycle safety and rode through a bicycle skills course . Families visited with the Mounted Patrol , SWAT , and Aviation Unit as well .
Thanks to the initiative of Officer Jose Estrada and Officer Joshua Loesel , officers distributed more than 260 backpacks containing school supplies to 11 different Northside elementary schools in August . Teachers also received hand sanitizer and sanitation wipes to help keep students and staff healthy and safe .
In October , APD joined volunteers for a Unite Arlington weekend of clean-up projects to make the community a better place to live . They also assisted with moving furniture provided by Sharefest Texas into an apartment for a family of five .
24 | 2021 Annual Report