Public safety is not a spectator sport. Thus opens Lakewood's recently published Strategic Plan For Public Safety. Fittingly, soon after Lakewood's incorporation as a city, a committee of seven of its citizens drafted this plan. The plan underscores the crucial relationship of public safety to community and economic vibrancy. The plan also accentuates the need for partnerships among Lakewood residents, businesses, and the police department for the plan to have effect.
Public safety is simply too important and too big of a job to leave to the police alone.
I believe our web site will accurately capture the growing spirit of partnership and interaction between the LPD and neighborhoods and businesses in Lakewood. Our Citizen Volunteer Program has become a crucial factor in conducting Department administration, thereby freeing line officers for police duties on the street. Members of the LPD participate in a wide range of community improvement action groups. Our Citizen's Academy trains over 400 concerned citizens a year on how to protect against crime and interact with the police department. We co-sponsor a Business Crime Free Task Force within the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce.