It’s essential to the Naranja Lakes CRA that the community come together. Knowing this, the Neighborhood Resources Unit (NRU) officers continue to hold several community outreach events in order to strengthen and foster relations between the police and the community. The officers distribute crime prevention flyers, encourage residents to reach out to them when they observe crime or suspicious persons, and educate residents on developing crime trends in the Area. It’s important to bridge the gap between the local police and the community in a friendly atmosphere to foster trust and cooperation. Nurturing these relationships is vital to cultivating citizen cooperation with viable information when crime activities occur in their neighborhoods.
Some of the community events in 2019 included:
◦ Halloween Haunted House at Live Like Bella Park
▪ In collaboration with Commissioner Levine Cava the event included safe candy for trick-o-treating, amenities, and a costume contest
◦ Holiday Toy Drives
▪ Kids from the communities of Seapines, Sunset Point, and Live Like Bella Park received toys donated by non-profit organizations
◦ Wall Painting Beautification Project
▪ Police Officer Trainees joined this project near Sunset Point targeting a wall covered in graffiti and an area poorly maintained; the wall was painted, the shrubbery trimmed, and the debris cleaned
◦ One Stop Walk and Farm Share Event
▪ These events provide multiple resources to the surrounding communities at a single location and provided residents with a week worth of food
◦ Vigil
▪ When a juvenile male lost his life to gun violence, a community event was organized to bring gun violence and gang awareness to the area residents
◦ Summer Camp Programs
▪ Programs were held in the Waterside and Seapines communities, officers made presentations about bullying, teambuilding and anti-violence