Community+Dialogue+Technology = Quality of Life
Even before he joined the Town of Wrightsville Beach as Police Chief, Dan House was engaged in outreach to the community. As part of the interview process to get the job, he along with the other finalist candidate, met in an open public forum with residents interested in knowing more about their future Chief.
Something quite obvious at that meeting and continuing since has been his ease and desire to speak with the people. He has been conducting quarterly "Chats with the Chief" at Town Hall, since he came on board in July 2011. He has, as well, been out and about town regularly meeting with citizens.
"I prefer not to have people come to see me but rather I go see them. If I can see, from their deck what they are dealing with I am that much wiser and able to affect solutions". Chief Dan House
Outreach is a critical way of operating, in order to be properly in touch with issues, whether for the local citizens, public at large, our merchants, restaurant, taxis and vacationers.
What gets measured gets done
The Department's Quarterly Reports as well as the testimony at the Public Town Meeting, including the PD Strategic Plan will attest to a positive change in our local law enforcement. The focus, the tools and the motivation of the team and officer demeanor have all been under a change management whirlwind, under Chief House's leadership. From bike patrol, to beach patrol, to open patrol car windows, to summer uniforms and police officer engagement and skills assessment the TOWB PD are on a trajectory to stepping up to best in class. Even the simple things like consolidating intra-department communications and aligning crime statistics with patrol strategies and tactics has achieved important results. Those results relate directly to improved Quality of Life.
What's hot and what's not
In no small way, change like this comes because of the input and support of the citizens. This is where we citizens enter the picture, through our willingness to "Chat with the Chief". These chats have proved a good forum to gain understanding, raise and discuss issues and needs as well as build rapport. It also helps to clarify and set priorities in a community of 2,500 and can swell to estimates of 35,000 plus in season and holiday weekends..
(Not to mention when the only bridge access to the island is down to one lane!... or the local elementary school went from one campus to two due to overcrowding and is now in the shadow of the Sandy Hook, CT deaths presents an increased security challenge or the latest drug problem "bath salts" and the bizarre behaviors that come with it's arrival here at the beach).
It can be helpful to understand what's hot and what's not when it comes to defining the goals and prioritizing an officer's time.
Some good workable solutions often come from the citizens directly.
The Chief includes a drive down the beach through and about town as part of his daily commute to work.
"I get to see first hand the condition of the beach and town, I get to see any specific issues reported over night and I find people wave me down and approach me on their beach walk to chat. Citizens seem to appreciate the informality of the contact versus coming to the police department. It is a great opportunity". Chief Dan House
Beyond the engagement of the local citizens, the Chief has explicitly reached out to local merchants, most specifically the beach bars and restaurants and taxi providers to address some nagging issues. The result was common understanding, setting expectations and implementable plans. Designated taxi stands with clear rules regarding pick-up and drop-off , police presence/engagement at beach bars and patrol/ enforcement on the beach have come under focus.
"We now meet with the local merchants before the season starts and before each of the big weekends to share expectations and plans, and of course traffic due to ongoing bridge construction is a critical issue". Chief Dan House
Some pre-thoughts and tips on the upcoming Livestream Chat
A few helpful hints to connect with http://new.livestream.com/accounts/1650123/events/1828470
(highlight, right click, select "GoTo"
- go to the above link, you will need to sign-up with Livestream (It Is Free!). This is easy and you only need to have your email address or your facebook account
- Once signed up you can designate that you wish to follow Wrightsville Beach streaming events. This will result in your receiving notices of upcoming TOWB broadcasts.
- Specifically regarding the Live stream "Chat with the Chief" ,,,generally a video streaming is a one way communication outward to the audience, but this is supposed to be a Chat! So to make this truly a chat there are three important ingredients... please choose one
- show up at at Town Hall at 6:00 pm January 31, 2013 prepared to converse with the Chief (reserved seating is not available) or
2. Send the Chief an email with your comment/ questions in advance dhouse@towb.org or
3. Phone-in to the Chief during the meeting with your questions or comments
910-622-8594
(note: this last point about phoning in is still being worked on, if it is available, the Chief will announce the Phone-in number is ready to go during the live meeting)
So there we have it, fellow citizens, another step forward to assist us in building and maintaining our engagement in local government... and that has a direct impact on our Quality of Life.
Finally I would like to acknowledge and thank the following:
- the great gift from our fellow citizen Bill Columbus in donating the video equipment and streaming service to TOWB
- the efforts of Neal Briggi and the Henderson Street League for the Environment and Responsible Government and the many other citizens for advocating for video streaming
- the demonstrated commitment of Chief Dan House to proactively engage with the community.
Happy viewing and chatting.
Thanks for Reading, your comments are welcome.. Noah
