Kalamazoo, MI: In response to the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety goals of 2008, set by the senior management staff of the Department of Public Safety, with the emphasis being building relationships with and actively listening to the citizens we serve, a new police code was initiated on January 10th, 2008. The new code, "10-81" in police jargon, was developed to allow officers to place themselves in a status of community interaction. This interaction status code affords officers the opportunity to get out of their vehicles and meet community members in the areas they are patrolling. The code also allows the dispatchers and supervisors to recognize the officer's status and availability. A total of 786 officer-community contacts have taken place since the inception of the program.
Concurrent with the adoption of the new 10-81 status code, Chief Mallery and Deputy Chief Webster met with EVERY member of the organization to explain the 9 goals and expectations for 2008, which will lead the department in this new direction. The first goal has been accomplished. A new General Order in the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety General Order manual has been enacted. The new policy (G.O.-71) titled “Unbiased Policing” has gone into effect. G.O.-71 is based on the Police Executive Research Forum and International Association of Chiefs of Police policies and guide officers on the expectations of community policing. All current employees of the department have attended training sessions on this new policy.
Many of these positive “10-81” citizen interactions are documented and distributed daily, department-wide as part of "Daily Activity Report (D.A.R.) Highlights". These highlights recognize specific officers and their positive efforts in providing exemplary service and detailing the specific events which have occurred. Listed below are a few examples of "acts of kindness" and the department wide commitment to positive policing of the community.
*Sgt. Don Benthin located a woman and her small child waiting for a bus, he gave them both a ride to the library, got them coffee and then went to her house and shoveled her driveway.
*Officers went to the Ecumenical Senior Center and the Interfaith Homes Neighborhood Network Center to wish the residents a “Happy Valentines Day”. KDPS officers passed out teddy bear gifts to senior citizens and children of the community.
*PSO Manuel Bohannon went to Harold Zeigler reference the Alma College basketball team bus breaking down on Stadium. It pulled into the lot and hit a new vehicle. PSO Bohannon assists with information exchange. He then assists with transporting the players to K-College for the basketball game.
*Sgt. Don Benthin assisted an individual who was mentally and emotionally challenged. Sgt. Benthin spent his off duty time assisting him to obtain a place to live and provided him with food and clothing at his own expense.
*The Chief and members of Senior Staff went to the Gospel Mission where they served lunch and talked to the residents of the Mission. After lunch was completed the officers assisted with the clean up of the lunch dishes.
*PSO Jeff Crouse observes an 82-year-old female trying to walk through the snow. She was lost and cold and looking to get to court. PSO Crouse gave her ride to court and showed her to the appropriate courtroom.
*Chief Mallery and Deputy Chief Webster are conducting live radio interviews on AM 590 WKZO with radio personality Dave Jaconette to discuss and answer questions regarding new community interaction initiatives.
*Officers attended a community dinner and family night at the First Congregational Church. They assisted with the event by serving the meal, making crafts with children and playing games. The children also had the opportunity to have their picture taken with officers.
*PSO/EO's Wesley and Oliver responded to a rescue of a subject that was later pronounced dead. The next day they stopped in and spoke to the grieving family to see if there was anything Kalamazoo Public Safety could assist them with.
*Lab Technician Tyler Fall stops to help change a tire and discovers a spare is not available. Tech Fall takes the tire for immediate repair (at his own expensive). Upon returning with the tire and placing it back on the vehicle, the tire jack breaks. Tech Fall's hand is temporarily trapped. Upon freeing his hand, he finds another tire jack and finishes the job. Tech Fall seeks medical attention and luckily escaped serious injury due to the fact he was wearing heavy winter gloves.
*Officer Manuel Bohannon was on patrol when he spotted residence of Washington Square Apartments trying to cross Portage Street. He stopped and shoveled the walk so they could cross in their wheelchairs.
*PSO Mike Phelps and PSO Dan Chenier together worked to shovel the area around station #2, and in an effort to help those residents near the station they shovel three of the neighbor’s sidewalks also.
*Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Officers from the Operations Division participated in a Hands Across the Border fundraiser at Lincoln International Studies School.
Over 200 students, their parents, Lincoln staff, and Public Safety Officers enjoyed snacks, games, and activities. For a nominal ticket purchase, students were able to have their teachers and/or Lincoln staff “arrested” by the officers and taken to jail (the school library). The students were also given the opportunity to “bond them out.” For those not fortunate enough to be bonded out, mercy was given after ten minutes.
*Chief Mallery and Deputy Chief Webster have initiated a “Community Action Forum” from the Office of the Chief. This endeavor is a bi-weekly event partnered with AM1560 “The Touch” to announce initiatives geared toward police-community relations.
Although only a small sampling of the individual efforts put forth by Kalamazoo Public Safety officers, it is an indication of the outstanding employees that are employed by the City of Kalamazoo. It also represents the emphasis to meet and exceed the 2008 goals by the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, and to entrench this standard of customer service for generations to follow.
In anticipation of the success of a growing relationship with the community, Chief Mallery stated, “I could not be more proud to work along side the 298 dedicated men and women of our department. They have demonstrated through their actions of the past four months that they are ready to embrace the future and continue a journey which enables us not only to be the best public safety organization in the state, but indeed in the entire nation. To that end we are sincerely committed.”
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