The Advancing 21st Century Policing Community Report 2017 The Advancing 21st Century Policing Community Repo | Page 5

Advancing 21 st Century Policing: The Arlington Police Department Report to the Community
BUILDING TRUST AND LEGITIMACY
Law enforcement establishes a culture of transparency
and accountability
In 2016, the Arlington Police Department took part in a
pilot program to test several types of body worn cameras.
This program took a close look at how technology could be
used to help meet department goals and provide a
measure of transparency and accountability with the
public. Other examples of transparency and accountability
range from public crime data reporting on the website to
the formal presentation of the State of the Police
Department/Annual Report to the community.
APD Annual Report publications over the years.
National Night Out: Taking a stand against crime!
The community is a factor when implementing crime
fighting strategies
One of the best examples of community involvement in
crime fighting is National Night Out. In a comparison of
U.S. cities with populations greater than 300,000,
Arlington ranks #2 in the nation in National Night Out
participation. This program is sponsored by the National
Association of Town Watch. Around the country, National
Night Out is a celebration of police and community
partnerships. Officers visit neighborhoods to thank
residents for their active participation in crime prevention
efforts. National Night Out is an opportunity for non-
enforcement activities with the public as well. This is
another platform for dialogue to take place as questions
arise from the community about crime, police policies and
tactics. Citizen volunteer programs, including Neighborhood
Watch Groups and Citizens on Patrol, also play an
important role in the department’s crime fighting strategies.
Community rates satisfaction with police services
To measure satisfaction with city services, the City of
Arlington conducts annual surveys. Arlington residents have
consistently had good things to say about their city and
their Police Department. In the survey, residents also note
areas for improvement as well. All survey results are
posted on the City of Arlington website. The APD website is
also a platform for the public to notify the department
about its satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a service.
Achieving diversity in the workforce
An important component of effective policing in Arlington is
our efforts to maintain a law enforcement agency whose
personnel reasonably represent the diversity of the
community we serve. The purposeful recruitment of
qualified candidates has allowed us to increase our
number of female applicants. We are also working to
increase the recruitment of gender and ethnic/racial
applicants. Presently, 51 percent of the APD uniform staff
represents a protected employment class.
Residents rate their satisfaction.
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