For the city of Forest Acres, the month of October brought a lifetime worth of heartbreak.
Police officer Greg Alia’s memorial at Forest Acres City
Hall during historic flooding.
Police officer Greg Alia was shot and killed while on duty, leaving behind a wife and young son. His funeral, attended by hundreds from the city of 10,500, was held Saturday, October 3.
A day later, torrential rain drenched South Carolina with some of the state’s worst flooding in Forest Acres. Even the city’s police department, where Officer Alia’s car sat as a memorial covered in flowers and notes of condolences, was evacuated because of rising water.
But on October 29, the city turned its Rooftop Rhythms music series at Richland Mall, where Alia was killed, into a tribute to the slain officer and to a suffering community.
"Our officers went there not to be recognized but to support the Alias. But all through the night, people came up to us, shook our hands and said thank you. It meant a lot to all of us." Police Chief Gene Sealy said. "What helped us was the love of the people here. They kept showing up with food, flowers and cards."
According to City Administrator Mark Williams, that’s reflective of the special relationship between the residents and city employees.
"It’s the sense of community that exists here. People are spiritually invested in the city, and we try to put a personal touch on our interaction with folks," Williams said. "It may sound like a cliché, but there is a sense that Forest Acres is a big family."
The relationship between the city employees and residents didn’t happen overnight, but it’s something that municipalities across South Carolina are working to create. Social capital—the sense of goodwill and earned trust between a city and its residents—has never been more important.
Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark points to Ferguson, Missouri as an example of what happens when a law enforcement agency loses its connection with a community.
"Every law enforcement agency will be faced with a critical situation. It can be a positive or negative reaction. That’s why it’s important to have in your wheelhouse some positive community building," Roark said. "Police officers will make mistakes. That’s a fact. You hope it doesn’t tear your community apart."
In Sumter, the police department has made a conscious effort at communication and rebranding using social media to educate residents and distribute information. The department challenges shift officers to build goodwill with residents in all parts of the city.
Officers have worked with adopt-a-school programs, youth baseball, safety education efforts and have built strong relationships in neighborhoods and apartment complexes. The city has seen its crime numbers drop about 24 percent during the past two years.
"I can’t say enough how important it is to build goodwill," he said. "Our strategies are working and our relationships are improving. If your employees or your customers know you care about them, they are more apt to look at your approach in a positive way."
The City of Aiken’s Public Safety Department has a community policing policy that is an organization-wide service philosophy that humanizes law enforcement, according to Chief Charles Barranco.
Aiken officers are encouraged to get out of their cars and interact with the public. They have established partnerships with community groups and organizations to give back to the community, provide information, and build trust.
"We need the community to be willing to come to law enforcement as a partner," said Aiken Public Safety Community Services Coordinator Cynthia Woodberry. "We like to provide neighborhoods with resources and tools for them to function well. If they can’t function together, they can’t function with us."
City of Greenville Police Department Chief Ken Miller has found that uniforms and patrol cars often can be a barrier in the way that officers interact with the public. That’s why his department recently re-implemented bicycle patrols and allowed officers on walking beats to wear a more comfortable uniform like the officers on bikes.
Departments need to determine the best ways to reach out to their unique communities.
In Edisto Beach, a town of 411 year-round residents that swells to 25,000 in the summer, Police Chief George Brothers holds events like quarterly coffee with the chief. He buys residents and tourists a cup of coffee, listens to their concerns and answers questions. He, too, believes in the importance of education and relationship-building.
For example, Edisto Beach is one of the state’s few spots that allows alcohol on the beach—but no glass containers are permitted. Sometimes visitors will have a bottle of beer on the beach.
"Can I write them a ticket? Sure. But can I solve the problem without doing that? Yes. I can educate them and they won’t do it again," Brothers said. "They see us as helping instead of out to get them. And if an officer does something that I’m not happy about, people understand that I will take care of it."
In Clemson, the police department works to balance the needs of the city’s 14,000 year-round residents who are joined by 7,000 university students living in the city during the school year.
"We want college students to enjoy college life yet maintain the peace and sanctity of our year-round residents. Noise is always the biggest factor," said Police Chief Jimmy Dixon.
He said the department started a successful party registry program four years ago, where people hosting a party register on a web page and provide contact information for two sober monitors. If complaints come in from neighbors, the monitors are called. Officers ride by 20-30 minutes later. If there are no problems, they don’t go inside the party. The police department’s physical response has dropped by 60 percent over four years.
With its large student population, the department reaches more people through its Facebook page than its website, said Dixon.
Clemson officers connect with college students by partnering with the Parks and Recreation Department and hosting a movie night with police. They also set up equipment at college apartments for officers and students to watch "Monday Night Football" together.
Dixon, too, believes education and getting buy-in from the community is among the most important parts of police work.
"It’s only a matter of time before bad things happen. We don’t want it to happen. We are a safe community, but we’re not immune to it," he said. "You want support so when the hard times hit, people know you’ll do everything humanly possible to solve it."