To the editor:
I congratulate Hamilton Township Police Chief James Collins and his staff for their recent use of social media and their increased communication with the local media regarding crime activity in the township.
I have been convinced and advocating that when the public is aware of issues – crime or otherwise – that the public will be better served and of better assistance to their local government.
The first time I attended a Township Council Meeting was in the spring of 2010 to ask why I had heard only second hand about robberies and burglaries that had occurred weeks and even months prior in my neighborhood. I politely expressed concern about the impact of scant information being released to the public, the impact that this practice would have on safety and in the long term the negative impact on our local economy.
I suggested that if the public did not know the challenges that our police faced that this would erode support for our police division and give residents a false sense of security. At that time, my questions and suggestions were not well received by members of Township Council.
Four years later, the residents of Hamilton are now receiving the information about crime activity in their community that I and others have advocated for – information that they deserve to have.
Through this information Hamiltonians are getting a better understanding of how hard our police officers work, if their neighborhood is experiencing a specific type or types of criminal activity and information on what to be aware of. All of this will prove to invaluable to our police officers, to our residents, business, visitors, quality of life and our local economy.
Thank you Chief Collins and the Hamilton Township Police Division for you hard work and for implementing these new communications tools.
Dan Keelan
Hamilton

