Meet Police Chief Durham and learn what’s up with The Plan

Four opportunities to meet and greet our new chief of police.

April 20, 2015; 12:00 PM • by Ross Catrow

This week, newly appointed Police Chief Alfred Durham will hold four Town Hall Meeting (see times and locations below) as a way to introduce himself and his 100-day plan to the public as well as answer any questions that you, the public, may have. In fact:

“I intend to do more listening than speaking,” said Chief Durham. “The purpose of these Town Hall Meetings is for me and my staff to get input from the general public; what we can do better and how they can help us do better.”

You should read the full text of Chief Durham’s 100-day plan, officially dubbed “The Plan: 100 Days of Focus“, the implementation of which runs through May 31st. While The Plan made some immediate changes–like always-on blue lights for police cruisers and expanded foot patrols for officers–the main goal is to asses the needs of the department and of the community and to continue to improve the department’s community policing efforts.

Speaking of, community policing is pretty interesting and the Bureau of Justice Statistics has a good definition, if, like me, you were confused by the generic-sounding term:

A philosophy that promotes organizational strategies, which support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques between the police and the community. These strategies proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.

Seems pretty straightforward and full of common sense, right?

You’ve got four opportunities to attend one of these meetings–the first taking place tonight, Monday April 20th, at MLK Middle School. See below for a full list of times as well as a handy map in case you’re not sure which precinct you live in.