The Community and Media Relations Division was formally established in February of 2015 under the direction of then Chief Ted Heap. It consolidated many community outreach and policing functions that already existed throughout the Department, as well as implemented numerous new programs and initiatives.
As one may assume from the name, the division is divided between two distinct functions, community relations, and media relations.
The focus of Community Relations is to develop and deliver community oriented programs to the public, as well as supporting community events such as fairs, back to school events, and many others. Some of the programs offered by Precinct 5 include topics that are age specific such as Hero Read and Stranger Danger for children, all the way to personal safety and fraud awareness for senior citizens. The division offers programs aimed at specific organizations as well, such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, schools, churches and businesses.
The division’s focus is not only education and awareness, but also on building and maintaining relationships between Precinct 5 and the community we serve.
These classes and programs are routinely held at our command station, civic centers located around Precinct 5, and locations set by the requestor. The division delivers these programs at homeowner's meetings and special events, as well, and if a request is made for a program Precinct 5 does not have, we will do our best to develop it.
To view available programs click here.
In addition to programs, the Community Relations division is responsible for identifying community needs beyond traditional police services and finding ways to help meet those needs. From food drives and water distributions to helping out in underprivileged areas, our deputies are always ready to lend that extra helping hand where ever needed.
MEDIA RELATIONS
The other side of the division is Media Relations. The department’s Public Information Officers are the link between Precinct 5 and the media, and they strive to provide as much information as possible when needed. All of the department’s social media outlets are maintained by the division and ensuring that it’s up to date with the most recent news and events is often an hour to hour task.
