Police Chief Wayne Nero (right) meets with residents during the Coffee with the Captains event Jan. 21.[/caption]
In light of national conversation about local law enforcement, Georgetown Police Department leaders said they want to encourage positive community engagement and build trust with the department.
A lot of times the community only sees one side [of the police department], and its in bad times, Capt. Roland Waits said. Wed love to have as much participation with our department as possible. If people have questions they can come down and hang out with us.
The department hosted a Coffee with the Captains informal meeting Jan. 21 at the 7-Eleven, located at 2995 Williams Drive.
This is an opportunity to come out and help forge community relations and enhance the publics trust in who we are and what we do, Waits said. If they want to share issues in their neighborhood, we will take those to heart, but this is more about getting to know us.
The event allowed citizens a chance to meet and chat with Capt. Evelyn McLean and Waits, along with several patrol officers, Police Chief Wayne Nero and Assistant Chief Cory Tchida.
I come here on a regular basis and talk to the customers, so it was just a natural place to have this event, McLean said. Georgetown is a close-knit community. Its got the small-town feel even though we are in one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, and I think the public expects [good community relations]. We expect it of ourselves.
McLean said she discussed the idea with 7-Eleven franchisee owner Meddy Tekle, who welcomed the idea.
We just wanted the community to come together, Tekle said.
Waits said the department may host additional morning or afternoon informal meetings at various locations throughout Georgetown to give others a chance to participate; however, no meeting dates or times have been set.
Along with the Coffee with Captains event, the department has other options for community members to get involved with the police, including its Citizens Police Academy and volunteer opportunities.
We have more than 150 volunteers who come in on a daily basis and help us do anything from administrative filing to fingerprinting, Waits said. We also have the Citizens Police Academy, which teaches people how we do our jobs.
Georgetown resident Luis Zamot attended the Coffee with Captains event after participating in the Citizens Police Academy because he said community involvement is important.
I think that the more you know how the police function and what their role is in the community [is important], he said. As a part of the academy you learn what your role is as a citizen. That is very important, and thats what is lacking in the national conversation.
Nero said having an engaged community can help lower the crime rate and make the community safer.
[Community engagement] should always be important, Nero said. The biggest takeaway from [the event was] our most powerful tool to do our job is the ability to listen, and events like this give us an opportunity to listen when its important and there is nothing bad going on. The more venues you create like this, the more relationships you create and the more problems you solve and the happier everybody is, which I think is important.
Police Chief Wayne Nero (right) meets with residents during the Coffee with the Captains event Jan. 21.[/caption]
In light of national conversation about local law enforcement, Georgetown Police Department leaders said they want to encourage positive community engagement and build trust with the department.
A lot of times the community only sees one side [of the police department], and its in bad times, Capt. Roland Waits said. Wed love to have as much participation with our department as possible. If people have questions they can come down and hang out with us.
The department hosted a Coffee with the Captains informal meeting Jan. 21 at the 7-Eleven, located at 2995 Williams Drive.
This is an opportunity to come out and help forge community relations and enhance the publics trust in who we are and what we do, Waits said. If they want to share issues in their neighborhood, we will take those to heart, but this is more about getting to know us.
The event allowed citizens a chance to meet and chat with Capt. Evelyn McLean and Waits, along with several patrol officers, Police Chief Wayne Nero and Assistant Chief Cory Tchida.
I come here on a regular basis and talk to the customers, so it was just a natural place to have this event, McLean said. Georgetown is a close-knit community. Its got the small-town feel even though we are in one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation, and I think the public expects [good community relations]. We expect it of ourselves.
McLean said she discussed the idea with 7-Eleven franchisee owner Meddy Tekle, who welcomed the idea.
We just wanted the community to come together, Tekle said.
Waits said the department may host additional morning or afternoon informal meetings at various locations throughout Georgetown to give others a chance to participate; however, no meeting dates or times have been set.
Along with the Coffee with Captains event, the department has other options for community members to get involved with the police, including its Citizens Police Academy and volunteer opportunities.
We have more than 150 volunteers who come in on a daily basis and help us do anything from administrative filing to fingerprinting, Waits said. We also have the Citizens Police Academy, which teaches people how we do our jobs.
Georgetown resident Luis Zamot attended the Coffee with Captains event after participating in the Citizens Police Academy because he said community involvement is important.
I think that the more you know how the police function and what their role is in the community [is important], he said. As a part of the academy you learn what your role is as a citizen. That is very important, and thats what is lacking in the national conversation.
Nero said having an engaged community can help lower the crime rate and make the community safer.
[Community engagement] should always be important, Nero said. The biggest takeaway from [the event was] our most powerful tool to do our job is the ability to listen, and events like this give us an opportunity to listen when its important and there is nothing bad going on. The more venues you create like this, the more relationships you create and the more problems you solve and the happier everybody is, which I think is important.
