SCPD Community Policing Agreement Meeting Held

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud Police Department says it will offer the latest version of the Community Policing Agreement in two new languages after speaking with members of the public during the annual community policing agreement meeting.

Assistant St. Cloud Police Chief Jeff Oxton explained that the department has the meeting every year “to report mutual issues in the interests of forwarding the community policing agreement and enhancing community relations. And then to evaluate the effectiveness of the agreement. As our community grows, we want the participation in that agreement to grow as well.”

The agreement was first put together in 2005. The deal was reexamined in 2016 and again in 2018. The police plan to meet with community members every year to go over the agreement. He highlighted some of the positive things that have come from the agreement.

“And a huge benefit to this is the relationships that are made. I still see people that I know from the original agreement. And I still meet with people who are part of that. Getting to know everybody is a huge part. This is really beneficial.”

The policing agreement led to the Community Engagement Division. That division uses several programs aimed at kids and adults to make local relationships. Many programs are run through the Community Outpost (COP House).

The programs include the boys and girls St. Cloud Youth Leadership Academy (SCYLA) programs, the COP House Fishing Crew, the Women of Worth program, kids soccer, kids hockey,

In 2021, the department hired three Spanish-speaking officers and one Hmong-speaking officer. The department also added body cameras to its officers.

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