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Community Oriented Policing
Community Policing has become a buzzword that has been used across the country for more than a decade.
Many agencies, including the Waynesville Police Department, instituted community policing units. These COPS Units handled most
community and neighborhood issues. The Waynesville Police Department is approaching community policing as an agency-wide philosophy and not just as a special unit. Every officer in the department is being
trained with the mindset that they can handle any problem and come up with solutions instead of turning it over to the COPS Unit. Individual officers are encouraged to give input and initiate new programs to
help solve a neighborhood problem.
- Patrol officers are now attending neighborhood meetings.
- Business Watch program is being instituted using surveys conducted by patrol officers.
Programs Currently in Operation within the Waynesville Police Department
- Business Watch Program - Officers went to businesses to obtain input, training, and ideas from the business owners instead of the police department telling the owners what we were going to do for
them. The program started in the downtown area. In addition, we have obtained information and surveys from businesses in Hazelwood and Frog Level. We will eventually receive input from all
businesses within the city limits.
- Neighborhood / Community Watch
- Security Surveys
- Implementation and management of Community Watch programs
- Children’s Safety
- Amber Alert
- “Practical” Plan enacted through NC Legislature
- Part of a nationwide system to locate missing children under 17 years of age who are believed to be abducted and in danger.
- Amber alert links: Amber Alert, Code Amber.
- Bicycle Safety Programs
- Hazelwood and Central Elementary Schools - 4th Grade Classes
- WPD Sponsors Bicycle Rodeos during summer break.
- Requests from clubs (Cub Scouts, church groups, neighborhoods, etc.)
- DARE
- 5th Grade Classes
- 10 week curriculum building upon the relationships between students/police officers/parents/and teachers.
- Curriculum covers:
- Self-esteem, peer pressure issues, consequences of their actions, drug use, resisting violence, alcohol use, smoking, and resisting gang involvement.
- Eddie Eagle Firearms Safety Program
- K-3rd Grade
- Firearms Safety/Firearms Avoidance “Stop, Don’t Touch, Tell Someone”
- Operation Child Find (ID) Program
- Day Care Facilities
- ID Card made for each child, fingerprints and photos made.
- In excess of 500 children per year processed through the program.
- Explorer Post # 2398
- Boys and Girls 14-21 years of age
- Volunteer and participate in community events / programs
- Civilian Police Academy
1 time yearly
- 12 week program which each participant receives training in:
- department overview
- dispatch / communications
- patrol operations
- firearms
- K-9 demonstration
- self-defense
- drugs / narcotics identification
- DWI
- domestic violence
- criminal investigations
- crime scene processing
- Graduates contribute greatly to the community through the alumni group
- Declare War on Litter Week
- 55 Alive Program (Senior Driving Training)
- traffic/crowd assistance during festivals and other events
- Alumni group looking to expand into providing neighborhood patrol and parking enforcement
- Applications available in the dispatch office or by telephone request. Contact Chaplain Dick Campbell or Iris Davis for more information.
- Email: dcampbell@waynesvillepd.com or idavis@waynesvillepd.com
- Bike Patrols
- Increase visibility in business areas and neighborhoods
- One officer from each squad trained to ride bikes
- Bikes donated from area insurance companies
- Neighborhood Office in Ninevah
- Used for officers to meet with or interview neighborhood residents
- Visibility in the community
- Utilized as a community meeting place
- Chaplain Program
- Assist officers and victims
- Distance Learning Program
at the police department. Officers attend classes at the department while working on their Associates Degree. Online courses are offered through WCU in order to obtain a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice.
- Haywood Community College
- Western Carolina University
- Family Violence Unit
- Cuts in state grants to domestic violence unit
- Domestic violence / Child abuse investigator
- B.A.D.G.E. Program (Becoming Achievers and Doers Through Guided Education)
- Cooperation with Haywood County Schools
- Academic work, physical fitness programs, community service
- Focusing on at-risk students at Haywood County Middle Schools
- Serves all 3 middle schools
- Talk program benefits
Planned Programs to be Implemented in the Future
- Victim Advocacy Program
- Currently utilize chaplains as advocates
- Expand Chaplain Program
- Provide support/assistance to crime victims and assist them through the criminal justice system.
- Provide support to relatives of deceased individuals and assist in the arrangements if requested.
- Provide support to officers involved in critical or stressful incidents
- Eventually provide a full-time advocate
- Physical Fitness Program
- Incentives to officers to attain certain physical fitness levels
- Applicants currently undergo physical agility testing
- Implementing program to test current officers
- Youth Programs
- At-Risk Mentoring/Monitoring Program
- Youth on community control are monitored by officers-violations documented for follow-up action.
- Interaction and rapport between officers and the youth and their parents
- Children’s Safety Center
- Target elementary school aged children
- Various areas of education and training
- Bicycle Safety
- Firearms Safety
- Vehicle/Pedestrian Safety
- Fire Safety
- Poison Plants and Venomous Snakes identification training
- Water Safety
- Community Action Forum
- Citizens and the Police meet quarterly to discuss crime issues, neighborhood issues, and other concerns.
- Law Enforcement
- 36,500 calls for service answered each year / 1600 arrests a year
- Criminal Investigations Division maintains a 69% clearance rate (state average 24%)
- Closing
- We at the Waynesville Police Department are looking forward to great things in the coming year.
The C.O.P.S squad consists of: (click on names to send e-mail)
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