Police are experimenting with a new strategy in the Buckingham neighborhood, one that closely engages officers in the lives of the people they serve.
The County Board approved a no-cost lease this week with the Gates of Ballston housing development to establish a police station there. This station is unlike any other in Arlington, a station aimed at preventing crime by building stronger ties and a clearer understanding with the community it inhabits.
"This is probably one of the most challenging neighborhoods in the First Police District," Cpt. Tonya Woodson said Thursday outside the new station she commands, an unassuming second-floor apartment at 4117 Third Road. "It's not the only one in the community that requires attention but it is one where we want to have more of a presence."
Manned by a small corps of six officers, the station's purpose is to bridge what police see, according to Woodson, as a widening gap between them and Buckingham residents, many of whom are immigrants.
Cultural differences and a lack of information about local laws, she added, have made the problem worse in recent years and the new station — an idea spawned from community meetings in Buckingham — is just one way the Arlington Police Department is seeking to foster a better relationship.
"One thing we noticed early on was that there seemed to be a general apprehension among people when it came to dealing with the police and coming to the police department to report something or bring something to our attention," she said. "With this new center, we’re encouraging the idea that we’re part of the community."
The concept of community policing took root in America in the late 1970s as a way of making police efforts more efficient at preventing crime than traditional police patrolling techniques, according to the Vera Institute of Justice, a New York City based criminal justice research group. Officers keep in close contact with residents in specific neighborhoods, gathering information on problems and informing the public on crime and the law. Vera Institute studies show that community patrol officers in New York City made more arrests and had fewer civilian complaints filed against them. Officers also reported that they were able to gather information from the community about drug crime faster than they had walking a regular beat.
At the new station, most of the crime community police have encountered in their first week, according to Sgt. Ronald Files, is of a less violent nature. Civil complaints, he said, appear to be the most common calls officers have received during the station's first week. Files also said the station could help to curtail any gang activity in the area. Yet many of the problems that arise in Buckingham involve cultural confusion about the law and the role of police.
"In the public meetings we've had with people here, a lot of them would talk about how corrupt the police are in the countries they came from and that’s a big reason why they don’t turn to us," said Officer Mike Lutz. "What we want is for them to know that we are approachable."
Moments earlier, Lutz had responded to a call from a nearby resident claiming the men hired to paint her apartment had taken her initial payment and skipped out on the contract. Cases of fraud, he said, are common in the area because many will attempt to take advantage of residents who cannot speak English, but language barriers also pose a challenge for police.
According to many officers on the force, it suffers, like many other police departments nationwide, from a distinct lack of Spanish-speaking police. None of the officers assigned to the new station, Lutz said, speak fluent Spanish.
"That’s my next task," he said. "I'm hoping that this job will immerse me in it."
Community policing takes a special kind of officer, someone who is focused on getting to know the people within the neighborhood that makes up the beat.
"I was interested in attempting to build relationships with people in the community, that's why I asked to be assigned here," said Officer Latasha Chamberlain.
For police, coming to know residents is an important step towards doing a better job.
"I just had a feeling that I'd have contact with this community, that I'd see a lot of the same people on a regular basis and I wanted that for the first part of my career," said Lutz, who has served on the force for three years.
The new beat is a new kind of policing experience than the work many officers are accustomed to doing.
"For me, I wanted to work here because of my familiarity with the area and the chance to take on a new type of challenge on the job," said Files.
The new station is also planning to partner with the nearby community outreach center operated by the county to use it as a place where police can distribute information and meet with residents. Connie Freeman, an outreach specialist, said Buckingham residents often come to the center to find police officers. In some cases, she said, the police are already there, often helping local children with their homework or meeting with parents.
"Now that they’re down the street, things will be much easier," she said. "We can get to them faster in an emergency and we’ll be on a first name basis."