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Local police officers work to strengthen community relations
By Debbie Bryce, Idaho State Journal
Original article HERE
The recent spike in ambush-style attacks against officers, as well as the shooting of police officers in three U.S. cities in a 12-hour span last week, has caused some law enforcement agencies to look at new technology and tactics to keep their personnel safe while on duty.
In Southeast Idaho, law enforcement is taking a face-to-face approach.
Existing programs to strengthen community relations with law enforcement continue to grow. New outreach programs are being introduced in an effort to connect with the neighborhoods they serve to make law enforcement officials more accessible to citizens.
On Nov. 14, officers from the Pocatello Police Department joined community members during “Coffee with a Cop” to discuss community issues and build relationships over coffee at the McDonald’s on South Fifth Avenue.
“We hope that community members will feel comfortable to ask questions, bring concerns, or simply get to know our officers,” said Police Chief Scott Marchand. “These interactions are the foundation of community partnerships.”
The next Coffee With A Cop forum is set Jan. 19 at the McDonald’s at 831 Yellowstone Avenue from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Coffee with a Cop is a national initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. Similar events have been held nationwide since 2011.
The Idaho Falls Police Department hosted a series of Coffee with a Cop community forums this year, with the next one planned in January.
During the past year, officers with the Pocatello Police Department bagged groceries to raise money for Special Olympics, and officers donned Santa hats and pounded the pavement at Pine Ridge Mall to raise money for the annual interagency Shop With A Cop.
The yearly event partners law enforcement officers from throughout Southeast Idaho with underprivileged children. The kids get to pick out gifts not just for themselves, but for each member of their family as well.
The kids are treated to breakfast by the local McDonald’s and taken to Shopko via police cruisers, complete with sirens and flashing lights. The event provided gifts for 90 children last year.
Law enforcement officials in Idaho Falls have scheduled their Shop with a Cop luncheon fundraiser for Thursday at the Texas Roadhouse in Ammon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Idaho Falls Police Department or the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office at 605 N. Capital, or at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Center at 1050 Memorial Dr.
Earlier this month, the Turkey Bowl drew about 40 Pocatello police officers for a football tournament at Holt Arena. The flag football challenge raised money for the Secret Santa program at the Pocatello Police Department. Last year, the department adopted and provided Christmas for 10 local families.
Law enforcement officials in Southeast Idaho are working to build trust and support within communities they serve. And Blackfoot Police Chief Kurt Asmus said it’s a responsibility that’s not taken lightly.
Asmus reported last month that recent violent attacks against the police has affected police recruitment, forcing many agencies to operate short-handed.
The FBI reports that in 2011, 72 officers were killed in the line of duty, and by 2015 that number had fallen to 41. But the number of fatal ambush attacks on officers this year already exceeds the number of officers killed over the past 10 years, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
On Nov. 20 a detective in San Antonio, Texas, was shot to death as he sat outside the police station in his cruiser. That same day, police officers were shot and wounded in three other U.S. cities.
A St. Louis, Missouri, officer who was shot twice in the face as he sat in traffic in his patrol car is expected to survive. Police officials were also shot and injured in Sanibel, Florida, and Gladstone, Missouri.
According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, one-third of police officers shot to death on the job this year were purposely targeted by the shooters.
