“What started as an invitation to attend a
ribbon cutting ceremony soon developed into
a community outreach program focused on
our community’s middle schools.”
busy, and shook my hand.
Following this event, my executive team and I decided to select young James to be our first Chief for the Day. On June 19, 2013,
James spent his thirteenth birthday serving as Indio’s Chief for the
Day. Chief James began his day by preparing for the evening’s city
council meeting by assisting me in preparing my speaking points
for the police department’s agenda items. He then walked the
station with me, coffee mug full of water in hand, greeting staff.
Following his tour, Chief James spent time with each Division
Commander. In the communications center, he announced that the
dispatchers all deserved a raise and promised to bring the matter
to my attention. Next, Chief James checked the status of our Special Enforcement Team (SET), which failed to respond to his radio
inquiry of their location! Despite the lack of radio response, Chief
James then rode along with our SET, which treated him to his
birthday lunch. I was later told that Chief James was able to use
the mobile data computer during a traffic stop. The day’s events
culminated at the city council meeting where both Mayor Elaine
Homes and myself recognized Chief James and presented him
with a Chief’s award for his service to the community. Following
the day’s events, the Indio Weekly wrote a community article
about Chief James’ day.
What started as an invitation to attend a ribbon cutting
ceremony soon developed into a community outreach program
focused on our community’s middle schools. Moving forward,
our department’s School Resource Officers, in partnership with
middle school officials, will select a quarterly Chief for the Day.
The city of Indio is home to twenty-two schools and services a
study body population of 15,942. We recognize this population
as a pipeline of potential future public safety professionals. This
new community-focused policing program is in accord with Sir
Robert Peel’s Seventh Principle of Policing, “Police at all times,
should maintain a relationship with the public that gives reality to
the historic tradition that the police are the public and the public
are the police; the police being only members of the public who
are paid to give full-time attention to duties which are incumbent
upon every citizen in the interests of community welfare and
existence.” As a Rotarian the prospect of exposing young community members to a career in public safety through job shadowing
solidifies our motto “Service Above Self” and intertwines the
Indio Police Department’s motto, “Our community…Our commitment”. For mottos and mission statements are of little value
unless they are modeled and acted upon! ?
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California Police Chief | www.californiapolicechiefs.org