Community Impact Policing Needed in Fort Wayne

The Fort Wayne Police Department utilizes community-oriented policing activities, but those activities are not connecting with community members or addressing local challenges.

Bringing in a leadership team that understands reorganizing patrol districts to line up with community-oriented policing is Didier’s priority. Under his leadership FWPD will place an emphasis on connecting with members of the community they serve and being in a position to address the priorities of their local neighborhoods and will be evaluated on their success.

The U.S. Department of Justice states, “Community policing begins with a commitment to building trust and mutual respect between police and communities.” Mayor Henry has focused on building up centralized special units that are not well integrated with the street patrol, and whose benefits do not easily connect to community members who have been victimized by criminals.

Variations of community-oriented policing have had a tremendous impact in other communities. Toledo recently utilized a federal grant to connect the officers with other city departments to address nuisance issues that directly led to a reduction in criminal activity in the affected area.

Department leadership will set metrics for patrol officers and specialized units that are focused on increasing quality community interactions and decreasing idle time in vehicles.

Establishing a more robust and visible law enforcement presence in local neighborhoods will dramatically impact compliance with traffic and property laws as well as provide better connection between law enforcement officers and the neighborhoods they serve. Integrating local law enforcement strategies with community priorities in each patrol district will help align officers with the interests of the residents they serve and help identify how our centralized special unites might be leveraged to better address those localized law enforcement needs.