MERIDEN, Conn. — Since the 90s, Meriden has served as a national model for its take on community policing, with the creation of its Neighborhood Initiative Unit. Now, decades later, the police department is getting just over $34,000 from the federal government to continue to expand the program.
“If you keep crime under control, the neighborhoods do well,” said Holly Wills, President of the Meriden Council of Neighborhoods.
Wills and her team meet once a month with the five officers in the unit to focus on issues like crime, quality of life, and neighborhood blight.
“A lot of times, it’s car break-ins, it’s burglaries, it can be gang-related activities. It can be shootings, it can be a little bit of everything,” Wills said.
Now, the unit is getting more money to work on those problems. In 2023, Deputy Chief Jerry Sully said car break-ins carried the burden of crime throughout the city.
“It’s not unheard of for us to get anywhere from 20, 30, 40, 50 cars broken into. And gone are the days where if it’s not unlocked, they don’t get into it. They’ll smash the windows, and get into the car,” Sully said.
When the trend spikes in certain neighborhoods, the unit will turn its attention there, sending officers there by car or to cover a walking beat.
“And try to either deter it or, if we can apprehend them,” Sully said.
However, the NI Unit doesn’t just work to cut down on crime. The officers are also heavily involved in the community, attending events.
“Making sure that the people in our community know who the men and women of the Meriden Police Department is. Community policing is about bridging that gap between the community and the police department,” said Meriden’s Mayor, Kevin Scarpati.
It’s a team effort, which, in the face of limited resources and staffing shortages, works every day to keep the community safe.
“Meriden is a great place to live. It’s a great place to raise your kids. but we need everyone working together as a team,” Wills said.
Officers in the unit say a big part of their success lies in the hands of the community. So, they’re remind all residents that if they see something, they should say something.
As for where exactly the funding will be going, Mayor Scarpati said it may be put toward responding to the latest criminal trends (like car break-ins). The officers also respond to something as small as broken windows or abandoned cars, to focus on the quality of life issues residents face every day.
For more information on the unit and to get in touch with the officers involved, click here.
Julia LeBlanc is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jleblanc@fox61.com Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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