Tribute to First Responders: LPD’s community outreach

"Community policing is the framework for how LPD trains for, responds to and follows up on every single call for service, regardless of the type of incident," says Ofc. Luke Bonkiewicz, Lincoln Police Department.
 
Community policing: it’s something the Lincoln Police Department is very proud of, but what exactly is it?
It’s a philosophy that’s engrained in every member of the police force and promotes relationships within the community.
 
"It is the police department reaching out to all the members of the community and partnering with them, and saying, help us to identify, what are the problems in your community? Then together, we’re going to solve those," says Bonkiewicz. 
 
One way LPD does this is by holding community events, like Pop With a Cop, Cops and Bobbers, reading to kids at local libraries, or working with the TeamMates program. So instead of seeing people on one of their worst days, officers get to have a positive interaction and build trust with the people they serve and protect.
 
"By its very nature, law enforcement can be kind of a very negative environment, so if we can introduce some very positive aspects into it, I think that can be powerful," says Bonkiewicz.
 
Social media is another way LPD connects with people. Twitter and Facebook give them a platform to share pictures and videos of the community outreach they do and also to share emergency alerts or road closures.
So it helps keep you safer.
 
"We have to do some silly stuff on Twitter to get people to follow us. We have to play the game and be a part of the Twitter universe, but in the end that brings that audience to us. It’s really strategic, so that we have them there when we’re ready to push that emergency information out because once that emergency happens, it’s too late, it can’t build the audience that quickly," says Ofc. Angela Sands, Lincoln Police Department.
 
It’s not just one person handling the department’s social media. Many officers contribute and there’s a good reason for that.
 
"People of various ages, various demographics that are tweeting for us and using Facebook for us, that way we can reach different audiences," says Sands.
 
These connections on social media and events in the community have lasting effects and give Lincoln citizens the chance to get to know the officers who protect them.
Humanizing the badge.
 
"Showing everybody that these are mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, that are wearing this uniform, showing behind that badge. Showing we’re pet owners, we love dogs, things like that. We’re all just humans; we’re all your neighbors, community members, really showing that we’re here to do a job and we’re here to serve Lincoln," says Sands.
 
"There’s something lasting, something more permanent. I think we get as much out of the event as the public gets out of it, I really do," says Bonkiewicz.