Belleville Local 28 members participate in Walk to School Day as part of the department’s revitalized focus on community policing.
Belleville does not have a dedicated community policing
program. Between the events and programs that promote the
partnership and the commitment of the department, all officers
have become community law enforcement officers.
“These relationships that have been forged will certainly pay
dividends in the years to come,” Mayor Melham accentuates.
“Not only do residents see a perceived increase of police pres-
ence, but they are more comfortable talking to police.”
The first seeds of the community connection were planted
through the Belleville PD’s Outreach Day, the first of which was
held in October 2016 at the town’s Little League field. Local 28
members played Wiffle ball and touch football with kids. There
were rides and hot dogs, and the event has grown every year
since.
The Walk to School Day was set up for kids to meet officers
at designated points in the morning to begin the trek and was
developed in conjunction with the school district to achieve
several objectives. Getting more kids to walk to school would
alleviate some of the traffic congestion during morning drop-
offs. Minichini figured getting kids to walk to school would also
get them some exercise they could certainly benefit from. And,
of course, kids would have a chance to build bonds with officers
on the walk.
But the hundreds-of-students march also accentuated a feel-
ing so important that it will be reprised this spring and as often
as possible.
“This is just my opinion, but I think it’s safer today than
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