Supervisor: Sergeant Andrew Werkema
Phone: (269) 337-8244
The mission of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) Community Policing Unit is to improve relationships and build trust within the community. Through these relationships, we will identify crime trends that negatively impact the quality of life within the various city neighborhoods and develop action plans to address those trends. The Community Policing Unit utilizes outreach, education and enforcement initiatives to improve the quality of life for all members of the community.
The KDPS Community Policing Unit uses a variety of methods to address neighborhood problems and increase community relationships including: foot patrols, bicycle patrol, plain clothes operations, fully-marked and unmarked car patrols, contact at area schools with teachers and students, and giving presentations on an array of topics, mostly geared toward crime prevention and personal safety awareness.
The Community Police Officers (CPO’s) maintain a line of communication with neighborhood directors and associations to stay apprised of problems and priorities of the neighborhoods, so they can be addressed in a timely manner.
Community Policing is a philosophy of policing intended to reduce crime and the fear of crime. It improves the quality of life by encouraging a partnership between Public Safety and the citizens of the community to develop a cohesive effort to solve problems creatively. Community policing strives to involve the citizens for input, information and assistance, leading to greater understanding and partnership.
Community Policing Initiatives
As the Community Policing Unit continues to conduct outreach and build trust, information sharing between police and citizens will improve. In addition to the primary directive of building relationships; blight enforcement, mentoring, and reducing crime are the top priorities.
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) Community Policing Unit is comprised of one (1) Sergeant, eight (8) Community Policing Officers, one (1) Community Policing Officer from Western Michigan University Police Department, and one (1) School Resource Officer assigned to Loy Norrix High School.
