The Balancing of Protecting and Serving
Lynchburg, Virginia Police Department
21st Century law enforcement has to be balanced in order to be effective. The Lynchburg Police Department's policing model of building community is poised on the two pillars of Protection and Service. We must maintain a balance in order to effectively accomplish our stated goal.
Protecting:
The community must feel safe. Our neighbors demand that we protect them and their property from crime. The residents of Lynchburg want to live work and play in a safe environment. They want to raise their children in a wholesome atmosphere. In order to effectively protect the community we need to be direct and proactive in our approach. We must apply evidence based policing practices that make use of Intelligence Led Policing, focusing on prolific criminal offenders and removing them from our streets.
Serving:
The community must not feel that its police department is an occupying army. It must trust and believe that the actions of their police are legitimate and unbiased. The community wants to have a voice in the way they are policed. In order to effectively serve the LPD must vigorously conduct positive citizen engagement; we must look for ways to build bridges of understanding and trust in all our communities. We must be perceived as being fair and impartial, engaged in constitutional policing practices. You are the community's champions, respected and trusted because of your honor, courage, and fairness.