Police seeking assistance from the community
JOLIET -- Vigilance, not fear, is a key to resident involvement in crime fighting, said Joliet police Chief Fred Hayes.
What's the difference?
Vigilant residents "are really watching what happens in the neighborhood," Hayes said.
They call police. They help fight crime.
Fearful people become more tolerant of criminal activity in the neighborhood, Hayes said, and police need to work on that.
"We understand that we still have a job to do," he said. "That job is to break down that fear."
In some neighborhoods, he noted, the crime rate has gone down as reports of suspicious incidents have gone up. That's because people are calling police more often.
Hayes urged residents to call police when they see suspicious activity.
"Sometimes they may not be happy with our response," he acknowledged.
In those cases, he said, people should ask to talk to a shift commander, a supervisor, or ultimately Hayes himself.
Joliet police meet with neighborhood and church groups to increase community involvement in crime-fighting, Hayes said.
"We recognize as a police department that we cannot respond to these incidents alone," he said. "We need the support of the community."
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