SAVANNAH, GA (June 1, 2013): Officers from the Central Precinct of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department officially kicked off their attack on the traditional rise in crime over the summer with a Roll Call in the middle of a neighborhood.
Some 30 patrol and Crime Suppression Unit officers beginning their afternoon shift, received their orders in a parking lot at 36th Street and Waters Avenue instead of the squad room of their precinct.
They were joined by Metro helicopter Eagle 1, traffic units, detectives, Mounted Patrol officers on horseback, Community Resource Officers and command center trucks from the SCMPD Bomb Squad, Dive Team and SWAT Team and members of the Metro Command Staff.
Also joining them were dozens of residents in the area, who were greeted with hot dogs, hamburgers and soft drinks, thanks to businesses and organizations supporting the effort.
The Roll Call was part of the precinct’s “All Hands on Deck” effort that last year helped reduce crime during the summer months by 30 percent.
The idea of holding “Roll Calls in the Street” was envisioned by Central Precinct Capt. DeVonn Adams to help demonstrate to residents the many resources allocated to the precinct to keep them safe at any time and to encourage them to be part of the effort to keep them safe.
“The public doesn’t always realize all that is going on to protect them and few of them get a chance to see us as people,” Adams said. “We are at our best when we blend these resources with the support of the residents and that is what we hope to facilitate with these Roll Calls.”
The thought was echoed by Police Chief Willie Lovett who attended the event, greeting members of the community, reliving old memories and thanking his officers for the effort they put forth.
“Every police department must have the support and cooperation of its citizens to be successful,” he said. “We need the people we protect to partner with us: letting us know when things are happening, helping us to find those responsible, and participating in the process to remove those to prey on others. Events that help build the relationships between these officers and residents here are important to that process.”
Alderwoman Mary Osborne attended the event on city-owned property and began the Roll Call by thanking the officers for their service.
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