California Police Chief- Fall 2013 CPCA_2018_Spring Magazine_Final | Page 34
opportunity to have input and speak with clarity.
"We wanted our role in these meetings to be more
than a lecture from officers or a series of complaints by
community members," said Chief Mills, "We wanted this
to be highly productive. These meetings were to begin an
open dialogue with the citizens of this city about how they
believe SCPD should police the city with their assistance."
SCPD is committed to crime-fighting effectiveness.
Working shoulder to shoulder with the community is
essential to our success.
The town hall series rolled out with an agenda and
interactive, highly visible activities that kept participants
engaged in a positive format. Well over a thousand
residents completed the meeting series in five distinct
zones; Upper/Lower West Side, Upper/Lower East Side,
and Downtown.
Each of the sessions was well-attended. It became very
apparent right away that the residents and business owners
in each area have unique concerns, and necessitated a
separate response to each community. The Department has
chosen to use the philosophy of Problem Oriented Policing
to reduce crime and control unique problems, and this
community is part of that plan.
The Town Hall Meetings all happened between
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October 9th and October 25th, 2018. SCPD advertised
the five meetings by using a social media campaign and
posting flyers at businesses and community centers.
Each Town Hall Meeting featured five large posters
labeled with categories of crime.
VIOLENT CRIME – PROPERTY CRIME – NUISANCE CRIME – TRAFFIC - DRUGS
Attendees used a system of color-coded stickers
to indicate the type and location of criminal activities
in their neighborhood most important to them. SCPD
Administration circulated through the crowds, engaging
citizens and keeping the agenda moving and people
engaged. By the end of the meeting, citizens had created an
unmistakable visual message of priority to the SCPD.
Additionally, attendees had the direct opportunity
to meet and converse with the officers, and get to know
their neighbors. The information was collected, tallied
and recorded as a valuable component in future police
department policing strategies.
The feedback from these meetings was clear; Santa
Cruz neighborhoods want a police department that is
communicative, approachable, and attentive. Many spoke
of a department that is open and transparent. In this one
hour format, community members walked away satisfied