You may have experienced community policing at the NIH without realizing it. Whenever you lock yourself out of your office or need a late-night escort to a faraway parking lot, you are experiencing community policing.
Yet, the philosophy of community-oriented policing is not simply on response, but also on prevention; resolving community problems, solving challenges, together as partners.
"Community policing at the NIH is a great opportunity for the police to build a bridge, a connection between the NIH itself and the community," said Corporal Alvin Maker, the Community Policing Coordinator for the NIH Police.
Whether it's educational presentations on crosswalks, public service announcements about cyclist and pedestrian safety, hosting NIH Police Day, or even just participating in "Coffee with a Cop" at the Children's Inn, the NIH Police want you to know, they aren't just about enforcement. They even facilitate interaction with HHS legal counsel when parties have experienced potential injury, loss or damages on NIH property.
Maker sees these events and outreach as a way to "bridge the gap" and integrate into the community. He wants employees to see the police as "more approachable" – someone you can feel comfortable coming to when there is a concern about safety or security.
Community policing at the NIH is different from other jurisdictions. For example, here at NIH, "we are also co-workers of the people we are sworn to protect and serve. We are also in an environment that is enclosed," Maker adds. In Montgomery County, you may see one officer maybe once in a year responding to something in your neighborhood or possibly at a community policing event. In the small and unique confines of NIH, officers are here year-round, and you are likely to run into multiple officers on a frequent basis.
From a personal standpoint, Maker knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. And, it was a form of community policing that piqued his interest. A police officer on field training would come into his Howard County neighborhood and throw a football around with the kids. In an area where there was a high probability of having a negative encounter with law enforcement, that early introduction was a positive experience for Maker. That led to his participation in the Explorer Program, a coed arm of the Boy Scouts of America, where he learned police tactics and procedures and volunteered in the community, with events like "National Night Out". Officers even took children to stores and had dinner with them afterwards in an event called "Shop with a Cop." All of this was positive interaction with law enforcement for Maker, starting at the impressionable age of 14.
Although the police are here to offer advice to any NIH employees, including those at leased facilities, Maker said this is a good opportunity to remind staff that their official jurisdiction is on the Bethesda campus – to include up to the property line, not just inside the fence – but not off the NIH grounds. NIH Police also have jurisdiction at facilities at Ft. Detrick in Maryland and Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana. They have joint jurisdiction near the Medical Center Metro station with Montgomery County and Metro Transit Police.
Maker summed it up by saying, "we are a small division, sworn to protect and serve this community. If there are any needs or concerns, please reach out to us and let us know. With such a large population, we can't be everywhere, so we want to have a good relationship with those we work with. If you see something, please say something. If you think it's not worth reporting, but you took the time to think about it, it probably is important [enough] to report."
For more information about community policing at the NIH, visit the Community Policing section of the NIH Police website.
