CVPD MOVES TO BOOST COMMUNITY OUTREACH

New division’s focus will be strengthening ties to the public

The Chula Vista Police Department last week announced the creation of a new division that will focus on strengthening the agency’s relationship with the communities it serves.

Police leaders said the Executive Operations and Community Engagement Division will help the department connect more actively with all community members, including residents, business owners, students and the unhoused.

“We don’t want to wait for community members to reach out to us,” said Sgt. Anthony Molina. “Some groups who feel marginalized may not pick up the phone to say what’s on their mind. So creating a division where connecting with the public is our focus allows us to proactively reach out to those communities and continue to build relationships with the ones we’re already connected with.”

The division will include several existing units that already focus on connecting with the community, including the Community Relations Team, whose officers help residents and businesses deal with issues related to crime, and the Homeless Outreach Team, which connects the unhoused with resources. Both teams were expanded.

The effort also involved creating new positions.

A new executive captain position was created to lead the division and will be filled by longtime Capt. Phil Collum.

The department also created positions for a fulltime public information officer and a public information specialist who will focus on interacting with the community via social media.

The department tapped six officers to be community liaison officers, who will interact with specific communities in the city, including people of color, the LGBTQ community and faith-based communities.

The Research, Crime and Intelligence Analysis Unit, the School Resource Officer Unit, and the Street Team and Gang Suppression Unit will also fall under the new division.