Police Officer at Community ParadeThe Traverse City Police Department is a Community Policing Organization

The concept of community policing began on a trial basis in Traverse City in the early 1980s and has seen many variations.  Today, the Traverse City Police Department still utilizes community policing to develop and maintain partnerships between our department and Neighborhood Associations, organizations, various media outlets, and the citizens of this great city. 

The department has reorganized how it implements Community Policing.  The City is split up into four Service Areas with a different Sergeant assigned and responsible the each of those areas.   When a need arises within a Service Area, the Service Areas Sergeant assigns an officer that he/she feels is best suited to address the particular need.  Assigning an officer that has expertise or an interest in a certain task or problem gives the officer a sense of pride in his/her work and ensures that the community is receiving the very best service available.  This will help ensure that relationships are developed and maintained between the Traverse City Police Department and the community.   

We must use these partnerships we establish to proactively develop solutions to problems facing our community.  We can do this by using problems solving techniques, such as the S.A.R.A. Model (Scanning, Analysis, Response, and Assessment). A recent example of this technique is Dann’s House – “Dann’s House provides transitional and supportive housing, without an abstinence requirement, for people who have been experiencing chronic homelessness and suffer from persistent, severe alcohol use disorder”.

The partnerships developed will also help increase trust between law enforcement and residents of Traverse City, residents of the surrounding area, and the many tourists that come to enjoy Traverse City each year.  We, as a Department, want to be as transparent as possible through our Officers, the media, and the use of social media.   We added crime mapping technology, which will enable the community to see where criminal activity is occurring and use that information to better help in fighting crime.  Our website allows the citizens to interact with our department in regards to ongoing criminal activity and traffic problems that they have concerns about.  The Traverse City Police Department has a Facebook page that will be used to stay connected with and provide information to the citizens. 

Community Policing Map