OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Freedom and safety are ideals we all cherish.
Nationwide, there are areas endemic to every community, where there are challenges. People who are engaging in nefarious activities, creating problems for residents and keeping law enforcement occupied.
However, the Ocala Police Department says its community policing program is making a significant difference. But for the program to succeed it takes cooperation between public safety and residents working together to improve the quality of life in their community.
“I don’t think any organization is capable of policing a society, without that society allowing themselves to be policed,” said Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken. “It’s kind of a social contract, we’re willing to give up some of our rights and some of our freedoms, in order to have safety and security in the area we live in. And to that end, since I began my career back in 1994, we’ve prided ourselves in being a community policing agency.”
The Ocala Police Department has a marked patrol division that’s known as their community policing bureau, and it was given that name because the agency wants their officers to have the mindset and to be in harmony with the terminology and understand what that means.
“Fundamentally speaking, the definition of community policing are folks throughout the agency, sworn and non-sworn alike, boots on the ground cops and all the way up to the chief of police, who are always looking to build partnerships with the people that we serve, not only to better capture criminals, but to prevent the crime from ever happening,” said Balken. “My cops know that’s the gold star and the blue ribbon.”
The feeling of security is paramount and being able to walk down the street in one’s own neighborhood, feeling confident and untroubled as residents go about their daily routine, is an objective for every community.
“People want to feel safe,” said Balken. “People don’t care as much about whether you’ve made a great arrest. They care about feeling safe in their home and their communities, going downtown, going shopping, that’s the blue ribbon, that’s the gold standard we’re trying to get to and striving to achieve.”
Agencies have worked diligently by creating quality programs and placing an emphasis on community outreach, getting residents to actively engage to help make things better within their own neighborhoods.
“When you look at community policing, the idea is to get people involved in their own safety and security, and I think we’ve done a tremendous job in accomplishing that,” said Balken.
Balken believes initiatives like making a miniature horse a sworn police officer to help kids become more involved with the area’s reading programs and improve literacy rates make a difference. Balken says there is a direct correlation with literacy rates and incarceration rates.
“Our idea was, if we could bridge that gap, fill that hole or the void created by dozens of societal issues,” said Balken. “We’re willing to engage our youth. If it means having a horse come out with our ice cream truck, the Polar Patrol to engage our kids that’s community policing at its fundamental roots.”
Balken says it’s the younger generation who in the next few decades will be reaching out to form partnerships with agencies including law enforcement.
“It’s getting our citizens to understand that you can’t be a spectator,” said Balken. “It’s not a spectator sport. You have to be involved in this. You have to be involved in the safety and security of your neighborhood in order for us to be successful, and for you to live a happy and safe life in the City of Ocala. And with that said, I think we do a tremendous job with community outreach.”