GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Police Department is working to improve the community and is asking for your help in deterring crime.
In an effort to do so, they're holding a meeting for each geographical service area they cover.
They're called service area meetings.
On Tuesday, FOX 17, spoke to those living on the west side of Grand Rapids on behalf of the efforts of the GRPD.
Those who came out to Tuesday night's meeting gave the GRPD a lot of advice, including that they want more transparency, positive police citizen interactions and cops on the street.
Marie Cimochowicz attended Tuesday's meeting, she's the community organizer of the John Ball Community Neighbors. Cimochowicz was one of more than 100 westsiders asking about police training, how the GRPD is working to detour crime and how the community can assist
"I wanted to see a packed room, I’m happy that it was," said Cimochowicz.
Officials with the Grand Rapids Police Department said these types of meetings are beneficial because it gives the community an opportunity to interact with police.
"There are a lot of community priorities out there that we need to hear so we can come alongside those priorities and satisfy the needs of the community," said Sergeant Terry Dixon with the GRPD.
Police said these meetings provide the community an opportunity to be heard, identify community priorities, and make sure those priorities meet their goals. As for their mission statement, it's currently written to protect lives, uphold the law, protect property and improve the quality of life.
As for their new statement, police say they're looking for something new and fresh, and they need your help.
"What we would like to do is to hear the concerns, hear the values that our citizens have to be able to adopt that to the best of our ability," Dixon said.
Police and community members adding some concerns can be solved with a little accountability.
"The most valuable tool we all have is to deter crime is to turn on our exterior lights at night," Cimochowicz said.
Police are urging residents to lock their doors.
"This is about transparency, the public has stated they want us to be transparent," said Dixon.
"They wanted us to have body cameras. We’re hoping once all of the officers get out there with the body cameras that transparency will transcend to the public so they can see what officers do day-to-day," he added.
The next service meeting will be held for those living on Grand Rapids' south side.
That will be held January 21 at 6:00 p.m. at 1167 Madison Avenue, SE.
For more information you can voice your opinion on GRPD's new mission statement by emailing the police department at grpdmissionstatement@grcity.us.
"They’re human too they have feelings they have hearts, they care about people they truly care about people and some people don’t think they do but they really do," said Cimochowicz.
For those living on the north side, your service area meeting will be held at 1400 Fuller Avenue, NE January 27 at 7:00 p.m.
As for those on the east side, that's at 840 Alger Street, SE January 28th.
