What does a police officer do when the problem in front of them isn’t really a police problem?
Increasingly, the answer can involve a mental-health clinician, a social worker, a school, another town department – or simply a conversation.
That was one of the themes that emerged when I recently sat down with Westford Police Chief Mark Chambers and Deputy Chief James Peloquin at Muffins on Main.
Our conversation ranged from mental-health response and officer wellness, to youth programs, staffing, technology and the challenges of a growing community. But revolving around those topics was the same theme: modern policing is not only about responding to problems. It’s also about building relationships before problems arise.
As we looked for a place to take a photograph, Chambers scanned the room.
“Well, this wall says Stronger Together, so let’s take it here.”
And so, the photograph was taken beneath those words.
From crime fighters to community partners, Chambers described a change in the role of local police over the past 10 to 15 years.
When he began his career, he said, police officers were more separated from the community. Their work centered largely on answering calls and enforcing the law.
Today, he said, Westford police are increasingly integrated with other town departments and community organizations.
Police interact with the Health Department, Fire Department, town wellness coordinator, social worker, Department of Public Works (DPW) and schools. Police and DPW, for example, work together on traffic studies, signage and related issues. School resource officers work closely with school leadership.
The philosophy, Chambers said, has increasingly shifted from simply saying “no” to asking,
“Let’s see what we can do.”
That does not mean every request can be accommodated, but it reflects a broader approach to public service.
“We’re not just crime fighters,” Chambers said. “We’re customer service, too. We’re resident service.”
He said officers are encouraged to slow down when circumstances allow and to look for ways to help residents beyond the immediate problem that brought them into contact with police.
“We try to say yes a lot more,” he said.
For Chambers, that kind of community engagement also benefits officers.
When officers meet residents at community events, on a soccer field or through other activities, they get to know people when they are not responding to a crisis.
“It’s not us versus them; it’s a we,” Chambers said.
