CEDAR HILL – Cedar Hill Chief Ely Reyes said, “Saturday’s Neighborhood walk was a wonderful success for our city.”
And he was correct.
With representation from roughly every city department and four city council members in attendance at the event, the neighborhood walk was about understanding the importance of building relationships between the community and the police department.
Chief Reyes decided to have this event in Cedar Hill because “As I transitioned into my role as the new Chief in Cedar Hill last year, I attended many events that were hosted by the city and the police department. I noticed many of the same community members were at many of these various events. I also noted that many of the issues or concerns that they had were not police related but related to other city services.”
Listening to Cedar Hill Residents Concerns
Reyes wanted to find a way to hear from all the Cedar Hill community members about their concerns.
The Neighborhood Walk was the result and last weekend’s walk was the fifth this year. About 64 people attended the most recent Cedar Hill walk. There were also additional volunteers from other neighborhoods in the city who provided water at various locations throughout the area.
“Our Police and Community Team (PACT) lead seven teams of city leaders through the neighborhood, going door to door asking about how they feel about their city services and what we can do to improve,” Reyes explained. “Notes are taken and follow-up by the appropriate department takes place. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we get a lot of direct feedback and hear from community members that normally would not have a voice.”
Building Relationships, One Door At A Time
Cedar Hill Police Department’s Sergeant Chad Cooley added “These walks give people a voice in what is happening within their city and neighborhood to make them both a better place. As for building relationships with the PD, how better to build a relationship than to just be able to have a conversation with a neighbor. These walks allow residents to just talk with an officer, maybe ask questions or express feelings that they would otherwise not have an opportunity to do.”
Chief Reyes said overall he is enormously proud of the work the Cedar Hill PD PACT team is doing along with city leadership and elected officials.
“We are building relationships, one door at a time, The Cedar Hill Way,” Chief Reyes concluded.
The tentative date for the next Cedar Hill Neighborhood Walk is Saturday December 5, 2020.
