Harrison Police Chief Attends White House Briefing

From the Harrison Police Department

On Aug. 10, Harrison Police Chief Anthony Marraccini attended the White House Advancing 21 st Century Policing Briefing in Washington, D.C. Select law enforcement executives from across the country were in attendance to hear and discuss task force recommendations for helping to keep police officers and communities safe.

This was an interactive event and Chief Marraccini was able to provide valuable insight and feedback regarding implementation of the task force recommendations. Chief Marraccini was honored to be selected to attend this invite-only event at the White House and for the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious briefing.

In 2014, President Obama issued an executive order appointing a Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which would make recommendations to the President on how policing practices could promote effective crime reduction while building public trust.

The task force consists of law enforcement, civil rights organizations, police unions, community leaders and academics. They facilitated hearings with the public, organizing them around six pillars that law enforcement should focus on: building trust and legitimacy, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction, training and education, and officer wellness and safety. They proposed 59 recommendations and 92 action items. The final report created a road map for future policing and provided direction on how to build public trust.

Many of the task force’s recommendations are already in effect within the Harrison Police Department through a proactive approach and an effort to achieve and maintain state accreditation standards. Chief Marraccini plans to have his department’s command staff compare its policies and procedures to the six pillars outlined within the President’s Task Force Report so that they may implement strategies where shortfalls are observed, and continue to improve upon strengths.

The Harrison Police Department currently has strong community-oriented policing initiatives, including a community policing unit, school resource officers, a D.A.R.E program, senior citizen welfare checks, community outreach to provide crime prevention and safety tips, and the My Community Alert program which sends breaking information to the community through text messages and emails. The Department also has rigorous crime reduction tactics, such as traffic cameras, license plate readers, and in-car video systems.

The Harrison Police Department is heading in a new direction of policing through its newest addiction recovery initiative, Operation HOPE –The Heroin Opiate Prevention Effort. Operation HOPE is an intake and outreach program to help those suffering from addiction get the assistance that they need. Operation HOPE was implemented as part of an effort to end opiate addiction and overdoses within the community.