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Coffee With A Cop: Horse Cave residents ask questions, express concerns
By Gina Kinslow, Glasgow Daily Times
Original article HERE
Horse Cave residents were invited to come out to Five Broke Girls restaurant along East Main Street on Friday for Coffee With A Cop.
The event was hosted by Heather Childress, who is Horse Cave’s interim police chief. It provided Horse Cave residents with an opportunity to stop by and meet her, express their concerns and ask her any questions they may have.
One of the first people to stop by was Dean Martin of Horse Cave.
“I’ve known her since she was in high school and I just wanted to come by and congratulate her,” Martin said.
As the city’s police chief, Martin said he thought Childress would do fine.
Sitting at a large round table in the back of the restaurant, Childress told those who came out for the event that she has a desire to change the way the community perceives the police department. She wants residents to look forward to meeting and talking with police officers, so that it is a positive experience for both.
“We welcome any comments, any suggestions, anything that you all think will make our community better. We want to hear it,” she said.
George Alvey of Horse Cave joined Childress and others at the table.
“I’m glad to see your all’s presence around the city,” he said.
Horse Cave Mayor Randall Curry stopped by for a moment and said he supported the Coffee With A Cop event.
“I think this is a great opportunity for us to reconnect with the community, with our new chief,” Curry said. “She is doing an outstanding job and I support everything that she does.”
Childress brought with her David Houchens, who is the latest police officer hired to work for the Horse Cave Police Department. She introduced Houchens to Alvey and others at the table.
Houchens will be the new school resource officer at Caverna high and middle schools when classes resume in a few weeks.
Childress also talked about her goals for the police department, both short-term and long-term, as well as her goals for herself.
“I plan on being here for the next 15 years,” she said.
Childress told those at the table that Curry has stood behind her and supported every effort that she has made since she was appointed to the position on June 1.
Prior to coming to the Horse Cave Police Department, Childress worked at the Hart County Sheriff’s Office for five years.
“I’ve not had anyone not to be extremely welcoming,” she said.
Alvey had several questions for Childress, including whether or not there is a local number residents may call when trying to reach the police department.
Currently, the Kentucky State Police dispatches for the Horse Cave Police Department.
Childress explained that if there is an emergency, Horse Cave residents should call 911. If it is not an emergency, they may then call the non-emergency number of 270-524-0011.
Horse Cave Fire Chief Donnie Parker also stopped by to visit.
In the short time that she has been in the police chief’s position, Childress said all of the city departments are working well together.
“I’ve had great interaction. It’s a family unit. Everybody has really worked together and tried to make it a positive community,” she said.
Among her long-term goals is to get the police department accredited through the state.
“That will be years down the road,” she said. “Very few agencies are actually accredited through the state at this time.”
Childress is also looking to establish a more positive role with the city’s youth.
“If we start with our kids young, and this again is a long-term goal, as they grow, you’ve already got the foundation with them to have a more positive community,” she said. “If you don’t start with the when they are young, you’re not going to have it.”
Childress is interested in securing grant funding for the police department and said she is working with various agencies to find grants for new bullet-proof vests, ammunition and Tasers.
“I’m looking into every grant that I can,” she said. “I love to find things that are going to help our city that’s not going to cost our city. There are rural housing grants that could possibly help us upgrade our department.”
Childress also wants to be able to offer police officers better pay. She explained that when better pay is offered, the city is able to acquire a better quality of police officer who will more than likely do a better job.
She spoke with Glasgow Police Chief Jennifer Arbogast recently about the retention of police officers.
“She’s in the same boat that I am. Cave City is in the same boat that we are,” Childress said. “The retention of officers is nearly impossible in today’s world. Getting good officers and retaining them is so hard. One of the pluses we have here is the full family (insurance) plan. That is one thing that helps us with retention.”
Childress continued that she understands police officers leaving to take positions at manufacturing facilities that may offer higher pay and less stress.
To retain police officers, she said: “You’ve gotten to sweeten the deal. It’s pay with benefits. That’s how you retain officers. That’s what we are working on.”
Childress said she tells her officers that their families come first, because she knows what’s like to have to work and miss a child’s ballgame or birthday party. To allow them to have that time, she volunteers to work most Sunday shifts.
Childress also arranges her officers’ schedules so they have three days off from work.
She said she believes a happy employee is a good employee.
Childress intends to host Coffee With A Cop once a month at various locations around Horse Cave.
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