The Dalton Police Department is starting a new neighborhood policing program, with a mission to create productive one-to-one relationships with residents and business owners that promotes two-way communication and cooperation between the department and the community.
The department is currently conducting the pilot phase of the program, and will be moving towards a full-scale implementation later this year.
The city of Dalton is being divided into more than 90 “beats” approximately six city blocks in size. An officer is being assigned to each of these smaller beats, and will spend part of each of his or her shifts patrolling in that area.
The officers will also conduct foot patrols in the area, making contact with citizens to inform them about the new program and exchange contact information.
The idea is to establish communication with residents outside of emergency situations.
Citizens will be encouraged to share information about anything out of the ordinary in their neighborhood, even if it’s not necessarily a crime in progress or an emergency. The officer assigned to a neighborhood “beat” will be that citizen’s contact within the department for any questions or concerns.
Later this year, the department will be adding an “e-policing” internet presence for the Neighborhood Policing program that will make this communication even easier for officers and citizens alike. The service, which will be hosted by www.epolicing.com, will allow citizens of Dalton to view an interactive map of the city with information about where different types of crimes are being reported in the city.
Citizens can also register with the site to receive email updates both from the department and also neighborhood specific updates from their neighborhood officer. They’ll also be able to contact neighborhood officers through the web site. The program is being used in communities all across the country, including Savannah, Ga. Savannah’s “e-policing” site can be viewed at www.metrocrimemaps.org.