Dec - Jan 20219GOVERNMENT CIO OUTLOOKlive presentation was streamed from a device by another employee. After receiving complaints about it being hard to hear the presenter and difficult to read what was on the screen, we switched to a Zoom presentation mode as shown below.Resident Meetings in 2020Use Technology to Bridge Gaps and Find SolutionsWhile activities such as citizen ride-along must be paused due to the pandemic, why not consider other ways to fill those voids? For example, conducting a "Virtual Ride Along" with an officer from your department could be an innovative way to put social media technology to use. During his or her shift, the officer could livestream videos, share photos, answer questions, and interact with residents in real-time on your department's social media platforms. While this may not fully replace the `in-person' ride-along experience, it would create an interesting event for your community to participate in, showcase the great work your officers do every day, and quite likely drive up your `likes,' `follows,' and other social media engagement measures. An added potential benefit of this type of event is the potential to enhance your department's recruitment efforts. Providing a glimpse into policing for a wide audience just may inspire someone in your community to seek a career with your agency. Engage Your Staff in Seizing Unique OpportunitiesThe pandemic has undoubtedly caused much of your community to be at home more often than they were before. This presents an opportunity to reinforce `target hardening' measures to enhance public safety. When we learned that one of our larger neighborhood associations had received a grant from DuPage County, IL Habitat for Humanity to purchase doorbell cameras to distribute, we jumped at the chance to assist. We have supported the project by participating in online association meetings and webinars to increase awareness. We have also offered to help residents with the setup and installation of the cameras. This project not only serves to increase safety in the neighborhood, but it has also provided an excellent opportunity for positive engagement with our residents.It is also a safe bet that these cameras may help us solve future crimes in the neighborhood as well!Hanover Park Officers assist with doorbell camera installationsIn summary, for all the challenges that COVID-19 has brought, it has also created opportunities for police agencies to increase their community outreach and engagement. Forward-thinking leaders will seize these opportunities to strengthen the bond between their agency and their community at large. Law enforcement leaders must not abandon community policing efforts due to the pandemic
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