Photo By Staff Sgt. Wallace Bonner | Colorado Springs Police Department Chief of Police Pete Carey speaks to the division...... read more read more
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FORT CARSON, Colo. – Colorado Springs Chief of Police Pete Carey invited the division and brigade command teams to join the police department in developing different ways in which to reach Soldiers about the safety issues facing the front-range community, during a meeting at the division headquarters building, Feb. 14.
One of the ways in which Carey seeks to reach soldiers is by having police officers attend units’ safety briefings prior to a long weekend.
“I think that giving information to the soldiers will let them know exactly what is going on in the community and what they can do to make themselves safe,” said Carey. “I’d like to talk to your soldiers about the Colorado Springs Police Department and their safety in the Springs.”
There are many topics Carey said the police department is looking to cover.
“Some folks know how to use guns very well, some don’t,” said Carey. “We’ve had a big rash of car thefts in the Colorado Springs area. A lot of cars being stolen these days have guns in them; a lot of people don’t know about that.
“One of our problem areas are bars; some are always coming on and off the restricted list,” said Carey.
Teen driving laws, texting while driving, home security, domestic violence and traffic safety were all brought up as different presentations Carey would like to do.
The program has been used before on Fort Carson.
“We used to do this about two years ago, with both the Department of Transportation and the city,” said Paul Burns, division safety officer, 4th Infantry Division. “Give them a little bit of leeway, and the officers will be there.”
While the program is in the process of being implemented across Fort Carson, some units have already taken advantage of the department’s offer to assist.
“We’ve already had the Colorado Springs Police Department and the highway patrol in our safety briefings, and they’ve been invaluable in my opinion,” said Col. Anthony Whitson, brigade commander, 43rd Sustainment Brigade. “Our soldiers can see them and understand they care about them.”
Whitson also thinks the department’s presence has an additional benefit.
“Soldiers sometimes get lulled by the weekly and monthly safety briefings we give,” said Whitson. “We can bring in someone local - our counterparts, service providers and first responders - to give them a new view point and get the message across.”
That view was also shared by Burns.
“So many safety briefs over the years have become stagnant,” said Burns. “Hearing a different point of view may change the message so that soldiers hear it. If even one person hears, we now have peer-to-peer influence, which is the most effective way in preventing traffic accidents.”
By talking to units, police officers are able to reach the 73,000 people that are on post, which is equal to any large city in the state, said Lt. Col. Timothy MacDonald, provost marshal, 4th Infantry Division.
To prevent officers from becoming overwhelmed, MacDonald plans to have brigades consolidate their units so they can be briefed all at once.
While the details haven’t been worked out yet, Carey says he hopes to start giving presentations at safety briefings by March.
Units interested in the program should contact the division provost marshal office at 719-503-0077.
| Date Taken: | 02.14.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 02.19.2013 12:10 |
| Story ID: | 102216 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 82 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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