People in Benton Charter Township can expect to see more of their police officers in and around the community – and not just during emergencies.
Benton Charter Township Police Chief Greg Abrams started in his role on January 1. Six months in, he’s feeling good about what his department is doing in the community: Enhancing outreach, increasing transparency, and helping people during and after a crisis.
Abrams said this level of community engagement is deliberate and part of an effort to rebuild trust.
“It gives them a face. It gives them a Charter Township board member face. It gives them a chief face. (It gives them) business cards, they know who we are, we have direct contact. Transparency is what we’re trying to establish here. We’re doing it and people are seeing it,” said Abrams.
One example Abrams points to – helping coordinate assistance after the Briarwood fire. In that situation, they brought in the Red Cross and other agencies to help with immediate relocation for people displaced by the fire.
Within the next week, Abrams said his officers, the Department of Public Safety, area pastors, and others will be visiting area neighborhoods to put a face on who they are, what they do, and how to reach them if they have something to share in the name of public safety.
