Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutIowa City Police Community OutreachIowa City Police Community Outreach has traditionally been a secondary duty of the department, performed by just one or two people with a limited amount of assistance and resources. Now is the time to create a true Outreach Team that will be staffed and funded appropriately, allowing for community membereducation about what ICPD does and to build true relationships with them, while encouraging transparency. The vast majority of community members want a police department they trust and with whom they can interact comfortably to help make their homes and neighborhoods safe. Having a team dedicated to promoting this, not only in the communitybut within the department,can not only help reach this goal, but also serve as the foundationfor how the department can evolve in coming years. Without having all the answers, here is a rough outline of what I hope is considered for Iowa City Police Department’s future Community Outreach. Structure Restructure existing investigative team to include current Outreach positions and create true Outreach Teamwho do not split their duties between outreach and enforcement Dedicated supervisor(s) whose primary function is Outreach (as with Patrol supervisors) Lieutenant – broad/overall vision, reporting needs, budget, scheduling, participation, guidance Sergeant – organization, day-to-day activities, participation, guidance Dedicated officers – number TBD Selected based on ability and skillset, not desire for certain work hours Too much work / too important for one or two officers, as has been tried in past Diversity in officer backgrounds Increased availability for multiple events, topics, groups, times of day, etc. Incorporate civilian Community Outreach Assistant(s) andVictim Services Specialist Help bridge potential gaps with groups who may be unfamiliar or initially distrust police Serve as lead or support role for various initiatives and social media account coordinator Identify outreach needs for crime victims Commitment to initial and continued education for all team members Desire to do the work does not ensure quality work Established models and proven programs should be adopted for effective use Core team could have distinctly different uniforms Easily identify members Approachable Efforts/Duties Improve/expand already existing offerings and initiatives Project Lifesaver Neighborhood Association partnerships Community education – various group requests ALiCE / personal and workplace safety Citizens Police Academy Immigrant/Refugee education – for officers, as well as community members Many more Offer new/additional services CPTED follow-ups and assistance with businesses (new and existing) Others as identified by team and community members Work to find solutions to community issues/concerns within the Outreach Team when possible, but work in conjunction with Investigations when larger, complex issues are identified Those who are engaged with and trusted by community members can better understand how to find a solution Develop dedicated ICPD Outreach-only social media Used only to promote Outreach Team and efforts/community events Future Outreach team members should be primarily responsible, but Patrol officers/supervisors should also take part in community engagement Encourage ownership by officers by allowing them to select their partnerships Incentivize patrol officer involvement with paid time away from Patrol to participate in community events Can assist to recruit future ICPD candidates (civilian or sworn) to apply, attracting community-oriented employees Future explorer program to attract youth? Strive to expand Outreach efforts area-wide, not just inside Iowa City boarders, with buy-in from neighboring communities and law enforcement agencies Obviously, this is not all-encompassing and I won’t pretend to understand all that will be required to make it happen. I hope it adequately represents what I have envisioned for ICPD Outreach for a few years now. As always, please let me know if you have any questions. This is just a vision and everyone’s input is appreciated. Derek Frank, Sergeant