For law enforcement agencies across the country, staffing and funding are challenges that have caused community-oriented policing to take a back seat; but many departments are finding new and innovative ways to connect despite these struggles. Cheshire County, New Hampshire, Sheriff Eli Rivera has led his department since 2013 and served with the neighboring Keene Police Department before that for 22 years. OFFICER Magazine spoke with Rivera about community-oriented policing strategies and how agencies can better engage with their residents.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
This article appeared in the September/October issue of OFFICER Magazine. Click Here to subscribe to OFFICER Magazine.
How has your service area changed over time?
I’ve been in Keene since 1989, and I was elected sheriff in 2012, so I’ve been in this community for a very long time. My children were born and raised here, my wife was born and raised here. They went to the public schools here. We have a deep connection to the community. Coming into New Hampshire from serving in the Coast Guard, being born in New York, raised in Puerto Rico and coming to a small community, Keene was a little shock, but I eventually adopted this city as my home. I have seen the growth and the changes in the community in that period. The needs are the same. Going to schools and talking with the kids, being part of the community events where it’s a foot race or Pumpkin Fest that we used to have here and was huge; being part of the community and embracing the community that we live and work in is very important.
What has the Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office done to connect with the community?
We recently got an ice cream trailer that was donated to us by the Kiwanis Club that we load up with ice cream and popsicles and pop up at neighborhoods, schools and local festivals to give out free ice cream. We’ve probably handed out a thousand ice cream bars and popsicles so far. It’s been a hit with the kids to see the deputies in a different way, handing them an ice cream versus a complaint. It’s just that community engagement with a positive interaction. We were hoping to be able to do a little bit of those events, but with short staffing, we have to prioritize what our needs are. We have some work to do and it kind of takes away a little bit from that, but we always find the time. We were just at a Law Enforcement Appreciation Day event where our K-9 unit, ice cream trailer and mobile command post were brought to show off what we have. People love to come up to us and appreciated that we were there. It’s those positive interactions that go a long way.
What are some of the challenges when it comes to community-oriented policing?
Staffing is a big challenge, and it’s not just us. You see signing bonuses of $20-30 thousand trying to attract people to come work in a career of law enforcement. Back in my day, when I applied to become a police officer in the city of Keene, there were probably 100 people who came to the physical fitness test for two positions. Nowadays, we might have a handful of people apply for a position. Out of those, we’ll get six or so that say they will be there for the testing, and maybe one shows up. We’re struggling with that. That takes away from the proactive policing of being out in the community, whether it’s walking downtown and engaging with the business owners or bringing out the ice cream trailer or having our deputies put on the mascot suit and go to a school or help the kids at the school cross the street. Sometimes staffing takes away from that or being able to participate more in community events. We need to serve the papers, we have to transport a prisoner to court; we can’t just drop those types of things.
What strategies have worked the best?
I always tell folks that we are part of the community. As an officer, everywhere we go, everybody has to introduce me as “This is Eli, he’s a cop.” Or, “That’s Billy and his dad’s a cop.” We’re always being labeled everywhere we go, but you have to get engaged in the community outside of the work whether it’s joining a service club or being a coach of a softball team or a Little League team to just let people see you out of the uniform being part of the community.
Listen to the full interview at officer.com/55142413
