Ways You Can Help the Metro Nashville Police Department
Home security systems can be a big help even in the safest neighborhoods in Nashville. But that doesn’t mean you won’t ever need the help of the local police department.
These brave men and women work hard every day to keep the citizens of Nashville safe. This is a difficult and important job. So how can you help the police department effectively and safely do their work? Here are a few tips.
Join Neighborhood Watch
Crime occurs when there’s an intersection of motivation and opportunity. And unfortunately, there’s plenty of motivation to commit a crime around Nashville. Therefore, one thing anybody can do to help is to diminish the amount of opportunity.
This can be done by simply being observant and making your presence known. It’s very rare that someone will break into a car if they know they are being watched. This is the idea behind a neighborhood watch program.
Essentially, it’s a group of people watching each other’s backs. This can take away the opportunity that can be provided by anonymity. Find a local group and join. And if there isn’t one, start a neighborhood watch group of your own.
Join the Citizens Police Academy
This free 12-week course is offered to any Davidson County resident or business owner that is at least 21 years old and has no arrest record. The Citizens Police Academy provides in-depth information about what the police do, how they do it, and the tools they use every day.
This course doesn’t train people in police work, however. You won’t be able to participate in any police operations after completing the course. It is meant to provide a greater understanding of what the police do to create safe neighborhoods in Nashville.
NCA Alarms has everything you need to keep your home safe. Visit us today!
Participate in Community Meetings
Community meetings are great opportunities to communicate your concerns and ideas with representatives from local police precincts. This is beneficial to the police department as well as the members of the community.
Have you noticed an un-addressed problem in your neighborhood? Let the representatives of the local police precincts know about it. Do you have any questions? This is your chance to ask them.
The police department has to cover the entire city. This means they can’t be everywhere at once. But if they know about a potentially problematic area before it becomes an issue, they can have a chance at stopping it before it gets worse.
Be Lawful
The most basic thing you can do to help your local police department is to avoid making any more work for them. This means simply following the laws and avoiding anything that would attract police attention.
Acting lawfully also helps by setting an example for those around you. For example, a group of people is standing at a red light. One person decides to walk against the light when there’s a slight break in cars. Others follow behind, but one person stays where they are until the light changes. That person can influence others to act appropriately. Be that person.
Report Anything Wrong
This goes along with the idea of joining a neighborhood watch program, but it doesn’t need to be designated strictly for your neighborhood. Even those in the safest neighborhoods in Nashville can call the Nashville police non-emergency number if they see something wrong.
This could include something like reporting an impaired driver that is drastically swerving over the lines in the road. Simply letting the police know of a problem is a great help in keeping a bad situation from getting worse.
Follow NPD on Social Media
The Nashville Police Department is active on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Give them a follow and stay up to date on the latest happenings in the city. A running theme throughout all of these tips is the passing of information between citizens and the police department. Simply following their social media accounts is a great way to keep yourself informed.
Not only does this help you stay up-to-date with necessary information in your community, it allows you to spread that information. Almost all forms of social media allow for users to repost something from a different account. For instance, you could retweet an original post from the NPD on something like an amber alert. This would then spread that information further and increase awareness on an important and timely issue.
Donate!
You can directly support the NPD through donations. There might not be a direct link to support the NPD on their website, but you can donate through a third-party philanthropic program right here.
Money is a big deal in any industry, and the police department is no different. Better funding means better technology, equipment, and training. Even the safest neighborhoods in Nashville benefit from a well-funded police department.