Stockton Police Swear In 18 New Officers; Chief Emphasizes Positive Interaction Between Officers, Community
STOCKTON (CBS13) - Community policing has become a top priority for Stockton Police Department. As tensions continue to rise between officers and communities of color, SPD wants to focus on building relationships with the people they see every day.
"The goal is relationship-building and getting out of the car and interacting with the community," said Stockton police Chief Eric Jones. "The advantages of that is that they solve more crime, they get more information, increase trust and it makes it safer for everyone."
Right now, there is a total of eight officers and one sergeant assigned to be strategic community officers. They'll spend time in specific areas and have the chance to build meaningful comradery. Officer Richard Keiser is one of 18 new recruits joining the department. He knows how important it is to have face time with the people he's supposed to protect.
"It is so important the community and the police department get along," he said. "We serve one another, quite honestly. Without the community's help, we won't be efficient. And without our help, I don't think our community is going to be run as well as it should be either."
Keiser's wife, Jean, understands the risk for police officers has increased dramatically in recent weeks. But, she believes her husband and his fellow officers have an important job to do that's worth the risk.
"I think until people get out there in their community and see positive role models, things aren't going to change," she said.
With the addition of the 18 new recruits, the total number of officers in Stockton has grown to 409. Chief Jones believes every officer will have a role to play when it comes to community involvement.
"As we increase that staffing, we can do community policing department-wide," he said. "The ultimate goal is that every police officer does it because it's just the way we do business."
