Chief's Corner

One of the most crucial elements of my job as a public safety professional is that of public education. I say crucial because the blanket of stereotypes and myths is incredibly thick when it comes to the public's factual knowledge of policies and procedures for police, fire, dispatch, and 9-1-1 communications. As such, I consider my efforts and those of my coworkers to continually educate and "de-myth," if you will, very crucial towards a better understanding and satisfaction of public safety performance. For instance, I cannot possibly count the number of times I've taken a call or dispatched an officer to someone who has had their car broken into and items stolen, only to have the victim call back ten minutes later frantic because an officer hasn't arrived with lights flashing and sirens blaring to launch a full-scale investigation complete with fingerprints, DNA samples, and a suspect line-up. In the caller's eyes, this is a major emergency because his/her world has just been violated by an unknown perpretrator and they have suffered what they feel is a major loss. I can empathize with their feelings as I have been there, too. However, a larceny from a vehicle pales in comparison to the neighborhood convenience store being robbed at gunpoint, or the big college party going sour because somebody pulled a knife, or the rollover accident with major injuries.

So where am I going with all of this? Well, I was excited to open the paper today and read an article about the Lincoln Police Chief's new blog. Tom Casady has begun to write a couple of times a week in an effort to "give readers insight into issues he deals with on a daily basis." He is attempting to educate the public on how the police departement operates, why they do things a certain way, and what the officers and investigators are up against when responding to citizens' calls for service. I took a few minutes and browsed the blog today, and it is fantastic. I highly recommend jumping on now and again to learn what the Chief of Police has to say about current issues surrounding the police department's handling of various cases. His commentary doesn't seem too politically driven, as can sometimes be the case when it comes to appointed government positions. What he has written thus far comes across as honest and straight-forward. Even if you don't live in Lincoln, Casady's thoughts might answer some questions about how your local police or sheriff's department handles calls for service.