During the fall of 2014 City staff developed a 101 item organization work plan to implement the current year phase of City Council’s vision for the City. Within that organization work plan were several items that the Police department is responsible for implementing. With the first quarter of the current year complete, it’s time to give a progress report to the public.
One work plan item expands community initiative programs, designed to engage the public and strengthen the relationship between the community and the Police Department. The “Coffee with a Cop” program was initiated, whereby citizens are invited to drop by a local business establishment, have a cup of coffee, and visit with officers to share their concerns or ask questions. Two programs were held in October 2014 and December 2014 respectively, and six additional meetings are scheduled for 2015. Additionally, two new neighborhood watch groups have been started, one in Red Bird Addition and the other in Penn Springs. Finally, a Police 2 Citizen (P2C) website was launched on the Police page of the City’s website. P2C provides citizens the opportunity to view dispatched calls, map crime within a specified radius of a search address, and search for specific incidents. In addition to real-time crime statistics, citizens can view recent arrests and jail status, obtain “Most Wanted” and “Missing Persons” information, and submit non-emergency incident reports.
Perhaps the most critical work plan item was the development and implementation of a Park Patrol Program. Officer Kamecha Johnston was selected as the Park Ranger. Dedicated Park patrols were launched in early December 2014, and in the first month there were 329 Directed Patrols, 52 Field Contacts, and 29 Citations issued in City Parks.
Please note that Citizen Satisfaction surveys for the Police Department are available on the City’s website to obtain your feedback on Police Service. To date, responses have been limited. An informational flyer will be sent out as an insert in the February water bills. Take time to respond….the Duncanville Police Department needs to hear from you!
Patrick Harvey 