Instilling pride
On Thursday night, a crowd showed to the Leisureville clubhouse to meetwiththe chief atoneof his quarterly town hall meetings, many of them supporters and about half wearing Citizens on Patrol
attire. Ten officers who patrol the area also spoke with the public.
Erika DeBlasi, 37, asked Katz what the department is doing to attract a more diverse crowd to town hall meetings. He replied the department promotes them as much as possible. They’re also held in different locations across the city.
DeBlasi, who has lived in the city formore than a decade, said this type of open dialogue builds her confidence in the cops she sees patrolling the neighborhood. Of the chief, she said, “he’s here and open and answering your questions.”
The new programs have helped wrench the department from its tainted past into one that people can be proud of, said former City Commissioner David Merker, whowas voted into office months after Katz became police chief.
“He cleaned house and gave the department renewed respect,” Merker said.
Other outreach programs also have been introduced through the years, such as Coffee with a Cop, the Boys and Blue mentoring program for kids, and a Neighborhood Officer Program, where officers’ purpose is to foster relationships in the community.
Another agency initiative involves letting officers present out-of-the-box ideas. One byproduct was the agency’s new therapy dog program, the first municipal policing program of its kind in the state. Harley, a beagle mix rescue, gets kids to feel at ease as they tell police about any case.
Katz said he sees a bright future for Boynton police.
“The foundation has been poured,” Katz said. “The focus has never been about doing what is expedient in the moment; rather, it has been on establishing a framework by which the department can continue to succeed, grow and develop in years to come.”
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