RPD initiative against violence and related issues


As part of Chief David Moore's new anti-violence initiative, our Crime Prevention Officers have been pulled from the NET offices to serve on details on the street. Although I support the Chief's emphasis on community policing, I do not think this is wise.

I was really distressed to learn when I went for the Sector 4 PAC-TAC saturation Nov. 14 that our Crime Prevention Officers had been pulled from their CPO duties at the NET office to be put on other details for the next two months.

I do not think this is wise.

This means the CPOs will not be available to follow up on calls regarding ongoing public safety issues in our neighborhood, and of course will not be able to attend our community meetings.

I support Chief David Moore's emphasis on community policing — all the more reason why this decision is puzzling to me. What the CPOs do is the epitome of community policing. They come to our community meetings. They provide the personal contact for us. They are the officers whose duty it is to listen to us and respond to concerns that 911 cannot and was never meant to handle. As we get to know them, we develop both more trust in the police and more understanding of what they do. We become more inclined to report information we might otherwise keep to ourselves, and become more involved in other ways.

Without the support I received from CPO Brett Scheuer in Sector 10, I would never have been able to do what I did on Union and Weld. And I am deeply concerned that there may be no one I can go to personally to talk about the events I observe outside my window on Chili Avenue every day — events that sometimes put my safety at risk.

PAC-TAC training and saturations will also be on hold. PAC-TAC is our best model for community support for the police. This week I walked two saturations, one on each side of the river. Monday night we had around 20 PAC-TACers walking in the Grand/Baldwin Street area where a drive-by homicide occurred, demonstrating our support both for the residents and for the RPD. Last night a small but dedicated group walked Brooks and Thurston, scaring off a few folks who were up to no good.

If we want community oriented policing, the last thing we need is to lose our CPOs OR PAC-TAC, even for a short time. If anything, we need a major public campaign to get more people to join PAC-TAC.

Posted: Wed - November 15, 2006 at 10:59 AM          

©