The Springfield Police Department’s Police Area Representative (PAR) Officers are available to help solve neighborhood problems and provide referrals to community organizations that can assist neighborhoods in the City of Springfield.
When a citizen calls 911 about a concern, an officer may be dispatched to address that issue for the short term. However, many times community issues tend to be recurring due to deeper, underlying problems that are present and may have been present for several years. This is often frustrating for the citizens who are directly impacted.
The City is divided into three patrol zones by SPD. As part of the department’s community policing philosophy, there are six PAR Officers—two assigned to each zone. They serve as liaisons, working with residents and business owners in their zone to proactively identify problems and come up with long-term solutions to those problems that may be unique to the area.
“We have had PAR Officers in place for years, but we have recently been able to fully staff this area of our department largely due to federal grants received,” said Chief Paul Williams. “Having these officers focused on problem solving and community partnerships is paying off in dividends, and I think many of the neighborhoods and citizens they serve would agree.”
When PAR Officers get involved in a neighborhood issue, their job is not to find fault or place blame, but to coordinate and facilitate efforts in hope of solving the identified problem. PAR Officers work with all involved parties, serve as the link to patrol officers and detectives needed to address the issues, and request assistance from other departments within the City when necessary in an effort to accomplish their goal. These officers have received extensive training in handling conflict and resolving long-standing problems.
“We often find that there are barriers in communication between police and citizens,” said PAR Officer Michael Ramsey. “By allowing us to spend extra time in the neighborhoods of our zones, we get the opportunity to get to know these residents and break down those barriers that have, many times, been in place for decades. Building these relationships with our citizens is vital.”
In an emergency or if immediate assistance is ever needed by an officer, remember to dial 911 rather than trying to reach a PAR Officer in that moment. Citizens experiencing a problem in their neighborhood who would like to discuss it with their PAR Officer should first determine which zone they live in by checking the zone map on the SPD’s website or by calling 417-864-1810.