Ask not what your community can do for you. Ask what you can do for your community! Ten things you can do to improve community-police relations:
1. Sign up for the Community Police Academy program.
2. Join your local Community Crime Watch program.
3. Start a local Community Crime Watch program.
4. Join Crime Stoppers
5. Volunteer at your local law-enforcement agency.
6. Find out if any local law-enforcement officers would like to be “adopted.” If so, adopt one. Get to know him or her and find out what you can do to support them.
7. Volunteer at your local school. If your local school has a resource officer, contact them and see if there is something you can do as a volunteer.
8. Check out the Web site of your local law-enforcement agency. Find out what is happening and see if there are any volunteer opportunities.
9. Check out the Web site of Crime Stoppers and see if there is anything you can do to become part of the solution.
10. Write a letter to Mountain Xpress with your best ideas for improving community-police relations.
— Paul King
Asheville