GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids' newly named police chief is no stranger to the community he will now serve.
WATCH: New Grand Rapids police chief has longstanding ties to the Boys and Girls Club, CEO weighs in
Chief Trigg has spent years connecting with local nonprofits, including the Boys and Girls Club of Grand Rapids Youth Commonwealth, where he serves on the board of directors.
Patrick Placzkowski, CEO of the Grand Rapids branch, said the relationship between the Boys and Girls Club and the Grand Rapids Police Department runs deep — and goes back decades.
"I think it's going to be good for the city, and you know, really wish him well," Placzkowski said.
The Boys and Girls Club was founded by the Grand Rapids police chief at the time, back in 1938. That long-standing partnership between the two organizations has continued ever since.
"This is a shared community that we all live in and together we can all make it safe, make it inclusive, and make it thrive," Placzkowski said.
With Chief Trigg now at the helm of the Grand Rapids Police Department, Placzkowski said he is optimistic the relationship will only grow stronger.
"I'm hopeful that with Chief Trigg coming on, we're going to be able to continue that relationship and make it even stronger," Placzkowski said.
The Boys and Girls Club is a youth development organization that strives to give every child a sense of belonging, a value Chief Trigg echoed during Tuesday's press conference.
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Placzkowski said Chief Trigg's message resonated with what the Boys and Girls Club works to instill in every child who walks through its doors.
"Every kid needs to be seen, every kid needs to be acknowledged, and every kid can grow into tomorrow's leaders who just need that adult, that trusted adult, or mentor to really see them for who they are," Placzkowski said.
