Police officers finished their ‘Walking Wednesday’ through the Wesselman neighborhood at the Swonder Ice Arena a little early this week, due to a heat index over 100 degrees.
Community engagement events are not new to the Evansville Police Department (EPD).
They’ve held their Walking Wednesdays since 2021, Coffee with a Cop since 2013 and this is the second year for their Read to Succeed Series.
Special Project Coordinator Taylor Merriss said the department’s goal with these events is to help break down barriers between community members and local law enforcement.
“We are here to build relationships, manage relationships, establish relationships, and that’s our goal,” Merriss said, “We work for the city, we work for the people, we want to have a great relationship and that’s a lot of why we do what we do.”
She said the community expects police officers to be involved and present within the community.
Merriss said they also expect transparency, which is why they put on events like Coffee with a Cop. It provides a chance for people to ask open questions and get honest answers from local law enforcement.
“It’s a way where we’re opening doors to people and allowing them in and just to be able to have transparent open conversations, that’s extremely important in law enforcement right now.”
Merriss said she tries to meet people who’ve had a negative experience with law enforcement with hopes to change their experience.
“I pride my position and myself on being able to break those barriers and say ‘Hey you might have had one bad interaction, but let’s make this right, let’s figure out a way for you to meet other officers or come to this event.’”
She said people have told her that going to these outreach events have changed their previously negative ideas of law enforcement.
Another opportunity to meet police officers is at the Community Academy in mid-August. For 12 weeks, different units within the EPD will come to the CK Newsome Center to share what they do and why they do it.
More information on the Community Academy can be found here.
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