Thanks to South Bend police officers for their community policing insights at June’s Neighborhood Roundtable, where South Bend neighborhood leaders meet quarterly to discuss issues and share ideas. A few highlights:
When in doubt, please call. South Bend’s ShotSpotter system automatically detects and pinpoints the location of shots fired. But which parts of town does it cover? That’s not public information, for good reason: when residents are certain that ShotSpotter is reporting gunfire, they are less likely to report it themselves. And that’s not good. “Please call,” police say, even if you think it’s already being handled. Often, residents will have details that others don’t have, and even the most mundane detail can be valuable. Even worse is when a crime goes unreported because everyone presumes someone else is reporting it. So when in doubt, call. “Be our eyes and ears,” police ask. 
Citizens Police Academy. The next Citizens Police Academy begins August 8. The Citizens Police Academy is a 9-week program held on Tuesday nights from 6 pm – 8:30 pm. Topics include crime scene processing, a “Shoot, Don’t Shoot” simulator, patrol operations, and even hands-on SWAT demonstrations. Class size is limited to 40 participants and is free of charge. Applicants must pass a background check, so apply early. More about Citizens Police Academy.
Volunteers in Police Service. If you are interested in taking an even more active volunteer role with SBPD, consider joining the VIPS (Volunteers in Police Service). Volunteers can write up code violations, assist with disasters, report quality-of-life issues, provide traffic control for events, and generally be the ‘eyes and ears’ of police. Volunteers are trained in radio communications, traffic control, radar guns, CPR, and more. Prerequisite: Citizen’s Police Academy. More about VIPS.
Neighborhood Watch. Neighborhood Watch is one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and reduce fear in neighborhoods. A neighborhood watch “Block Captain” is a community member who acts as a liaison between those who work and/or live in a particular area, and the officers assigned to that area. To organize a Neighborhood Watch group in your neighborhood, contact Officer Burns at (574) 235-9037. More about Neighborhood Watch.
Monthly Crime Meetings. You may already use CrimeReports.com to keep up with what crimes are being reported in your neighborhood, but SBPD’s Monthly “Regional Crime Meetings” go even deeper. The meetings discuss what types of crimes are on the increase (or decrease) so residents know what’s going on in their neighborhoods. The meetings, open to the public, are held at SBPD’s Sample Street headquarters on the first Thursday of every month. See news coverage from WNDU and WSBT.
Get to know your beat officer. It’s an antiquated term, but SBPD still has “beat officers” – police assigned to specific areas of town. SBPD encourages neighborhood leaders to get to know their beat officers. Beat officers can speak at neighborhood association meetings, attend community events, and more. One caveat: please be understanding if an officer has to cancel at the last minute. At most times of day, SBPD only has 20-25 officers on duty, and sometimes duty calls! For more information, contact Capt. Lancaster at SBPD.