City Of Columbia Police Department: Serve And Connect Announces Launch Of Community Policing App For Officers

Press release from the City of Columbia Police Department:

March 10, 2022

Press Release on behalf of CPD partner Serve & Connect:

With funding support from Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Serve & Connect announces the development of a community policing portal. The technology will be developed under the guidance of a multidisciplinary workgroup led by South Carolina police officers, community leaders and Serve and Connect, a SC-based nonprofit focused on bringing police and citizens together to address the root causes of crime and promote community safety.

“Community policing is critical for promoting public trust and safety,” says Dr. Kassy Alia Ray, Serve & Connect’s founder and CEO. “However, there are limited tools available for monitoring use of community policing. We want to be a part of finding resources that support officers when they are in the filed so they have modern tools that elevate community policing.”

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, community policing is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systemic se of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder and fear of crime.

In the Midlands, law enforcement has our back, and I want them to know that we have theirs,” said Nephron CEO Lou Kennedy. “One way we can show law enforcement just how much we value their work is to equip them – and members of the community – with the tools needed to strengthen the relationship between officers and the people they protect. Nephron is proud to join Serve and Connect in providing critical new resources to law enforcement for community policing aimed at improving public safety outcomes. We can and will make the Midlands an even safer place to live, work and raise a family.”

Alia Ray believes that by investing in technology, law enforcement agencies can have the support needed to monitor their work, as well as support broader understanding of how community policing relates to outcomes related to public safety.

This press release was produced by the City of Columbia Police Department. The views expressed here are the author’s own.