GPD Emphasizes Community and Victim Advocacy

Prevention specialist Jennifer Fuller is one of several members of our local police department who have been representing Glasgow in law enforcement circles lately. She wrote an article titled Scottie Pride: Community Policing on the Hi-Line for the July edition of the Montana Prevention Coalition Communication Post. In it, she says,

"With the current unsettled atmosphere between police and communities across the nation, a positive police/public interaction is more imperative than ever. The Glasgow Police Department takes a synergistic, three-pronged approach to policing in our community. We are a victim-centered force, with concentrated resources diverted to community outreach and education and a cornerstone of accountability."

The Valley County C.A.R.E. Coalition (VCCC) is among area groups who recently got a boost from a partnership with Fuller and the GPD. She applied for and received a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA makes grant funds available to support programs for substance abuse disorder and mental illness.

The money gathered from the grant was used towards advertising and offset cost for speakers at the town hall meeting held Aug. 9 by the VCCC. At the meeting, they discussed the outcomes of the Community Needs Survey conducted  in April that were aimed towards identifying the types of services currently on offer as well as health issues that local agencies are working to address. The information gathered will be used to apply for future grants to be utilized in various efforts to improve local health care.

The GPD also received a Partnership for Success (PFS) grant as well. The PFS grants are partly being used to cover the cost of overtime pay for DUI patrols at large community events, and also the extra patrol over the holidays.  They also have been used to give officers training on communication skills and child development to strengthen their abilities to better serve all members of the community. 

According to Fuller, "With the PFS grant and the increased education, research and data that a local prevention specialist brings to the table, we are excited for what lies in store for our community in our continued paradigm-shifting adventures."