As local people mingled at the Palm Bay (Florida) Police Department’s (PBPD) National Night Out last October, a longtime resident hugged PBPD Chief Mario Augello in delight at meeting up again.

Said Chief Augello, “We hadn’t seen each other in quite a while, but I’ve known him 18 years. We were neighbors years ago, when I was an officer coming up from through the ranks, and my family and I got to know his wife and kids. I helped him through some things, and he and his wife helped us at times too.”

Chief Augello’s relationship with this gentleman mirrors that of his department with the people of this small city on the Atlantic coast of Florida. PBPD officers are inspired and motivated by the principles of community policing, which can be summed up by the sentiment embodied in Chief Augello’s words: “We help them and they help us.”

This spirit of collaboration and mutual support takes many forms at PBPD, an agency of 300 employees, including 191 sworn officers. But it is most publicly and positively manifested in the many outreach programs of PBPD’s Community Resource Unit, which is staffed by six officers and a therapy dog named Toby, who is as popular in the station as in the community.

Said Augello, “When officers come in from patrol and see Toby, it’s an immediate stress releaser for them. The main reason for getting him was officer mental wellness. We’ve had a few traumatic situations and Toby was a great comfort to those who had been through them. He also goes to community engagement events, and the kids especially love him. We took him to a school in which the children experienced a loss of life, and he provided a lot of comfort to them.”

Ice Cream, Camps, and School Support Build Relationships Early

PBPD’s National Night Out, with its food offerings, music, K9 presentation, and display of PBPD’s SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) car and other vehicles attracted a large crowd from surrounding areas. But this is just one of many programs developed to reach all the different members of PBPD’s community.

One of the most popular is the department’s Frosty Five-O ice cream truck, which was a big hit with young and old at the National Night Out. Purchased to help build relationships with local children and staffed by PBPD officers, Frosty Five-O has been driving through area neighborhoods for five years, giving out free frozen treats to delighted children. Said Augello, “We want to start building relationships at an early age. We want our young people to know we’re here to help them, and not be afraid of us.”

Last summer, PBPD also hosted a week-long camp for third to fifth graders whose names they got from local schools in financially struggling areas. Along with other activities, including a hands-on introduction to first responder equipment and procedures, they visited the Kennedy Space Center, explored the Palm Bay marsh’s eco-system on airboats, and enjoyed a trip to the Brevard County Zoo. At the end of the week, the officers took the children shopping for backpacks loaded with school supplies.

In addition to other youth programs, PBPD Student Resource Officers (SRO) are a reassuring and friendly presence in local Brevard County schools, frequently playing basketball and other games with the kids and their teachers. Community Resource Officers also conduct presentations about illegal drug use.

Collaboration with the Business Community Increases Safety and Security

To support the business community of Palm Bay, which is home to a wide variety of large and small companies, PBPD implemented a program called Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).

Said Community Resource officer Corporal Ryan Austin, “Our Neighborhood Policing Coordinators offer free security assessments to owners and managers of business properties. We work with entities of all sizes and types, from small ones—restaurants, mom and pop shops—to large corporations and DOD [U.S. Department of Defense] contractors—to mitigate the risk of burglary or other crimes.

“We also provide this service to area churches and parks, anyone who asks for our advice. We do a site review and survey. Many times, the changes we suggest are simple, such as lowering the height of bushes or adding LED lighting to eliminate hiding areas, adding more secure windows, things like that.”

To further increase community safety and security, PBPD also established a communications link that allows the sharing of information about criminal activity with and from PBPD and other business managers. Informal meetings are held between businesses and the assigned Neighborhood Policing Coordinator, who also gives presentations on topics such as Robbery Prevention, Employee Theft, Shoplifting, and Employee Safety.

Said Community Resource Unit Sergeant Vincent Galioto, “With our business community’s help, we can focus on hot spots of crime, especially those that target them, such as thefts and burglaries from shopping plazas, vehicles, and store fronts. And there has been a significant decrease in problems in those areas since we started this.”

Volunteer Citizen Cops Help with a Wide Variety of Services

Another safety and security program is Volunteer Citizens On Patrol (V-Cop), which is also managed by the Community Resource Unit. Said Galioto, “We have 53 V-Cop volunteers, most of whom are retired people, and a volunteer V-Cop Director. They are a very valuable resource, patrolling neighborhoods and parks after hours, with special attention to homes whose owners are out of town and request security checks. They also staff the department’s front desk; do fingerprinting, minor crash investigations and report writing; and provide parking enforcement, among other services.”

Asked about response to these programs as well as their everyday police work, Augello said, “We receive emails and cards all the time, giving accolades to our volunteers, dispatchers, and officers.

“Our mindset has always been community oriented and we continually to build on that approach. Our mission is to connect, serve, and impact—to serve in a capacity not just for security and crime-fighting, but as a partner in enhancing and supporting a high quality of life in Palm Bay. We help our neighbors and local business community, and they have an impact on us, too.”

Faye C. Elkins
Sr. Technical Writer
COPS Office

Photos courtesy of Corporal Ryan Austin, Palm Bay Police Department.

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