The mission of the Dublin Police Department is to protect life, liberty and property while providing the highest level of service in partnership with our community. Rest assured, this mission statement will never be more applicable than in the coming weeks. The men and women of the Dublin Police Department remain highly committed to you, the citizens of Dublin, and we pride ourselves on the core values we embody each day- Professionalism, Integrity, Commitment and Respect.
During this constantly evolving situation, we are regularly collaborating with City Manager Dana McDaniel, members of City administration, our partners at Franklin County Public Health, the Washington Township Fire Department and other public safety professionals. We also are regularly communicating with Dublin Director of Community Outreach and Engagement Christine Nardecchia in furtherance of providing community members with valuable services, including those that may not be traditional law enforcement roles. I cannot emphasize enough that our top priority remains the safety, health and well-being of our community and members of the Dublin Police Department.
As we work through this difficult time together, our department will focus on the following in service to our great community:
- Emergency Responsiveness
Our highest priority remains the safety of this community and our ability to respond to and successfully resolve emergencies. - High Visibility Policing in Furtherance of Deterrence, Order Maintenance and Instilling Public Confidence
Our officers will be there when needed, will continue to provide a strong presence in the community and will remain flexible to assist with citizens’ rapidly evolving needs. - Mitigating Community Spread and Disease Transmission
In an effort to remain proactive and service-oriented, we are leaning heavily on medical professionals, including our partners at Franklin County Public Health, regarding the implications of employee-citizen interactions, while aligning both safety and response procedures with recommendations from the CDC, Director of Health Amy Acton and Governor DeWine. Physical distancing and mitigation of community spread remain everyone’s responsibility. We are no different and will do all we can in furtherance of this objective. - Community Support
As leaders and public servants in this community, we will provide various levels of support to the citizens of Dublin, including in otherwise unconventional areas. This may include assistance to some of the vulnerable segments of the city and other service-oriented duties.
As mentioned above, and in furtherance of our focus areas, some of the services the Dublin Police Department provides may look slightly different. The following list contains some of these changes:
- Online Reporting: As part of our efforts to reduce community spread and disease transmission, our online reporting platform can be utilized by citizens wishing to report non-emergencies. (https://dublinohiousa.gov/newsroom/dublin-police-department-now-taking-reports-online/)
- Response protocols: We pride ourselves on the professionalism, intelligence and ability to problem solve exhibited by our officers on a daily basis. Our officers and communications technicians will utilize established safety recommendations, including the use of social distancing and recommended personal protective equipment. Several examples of these response protocols include:
- When calling for assistance, you may be asked some questions that you are not accustomed to, which provide our communications technicians valuable information that will be relayed to responding officers and medical personnel.
- You may be asked to come outside your home or business to speak to an officer when they respond to your call.
- Please do not take offense to additional questions or the physical distancing practiced by our officers; we are simply doing our part to mitigate community spread and disease transmission.
Although we have amended a few of our response protocols, I assure you that we remain ready to protect this community, make arrests when necessary and maintain order.
- Phone Reporting: In furtherance of balancing both service to the community and physical distancing, we will provide citizens reporting non-emergency calls in which there is no immediate threat to themselves, others or the public at large with the ability to file a report over the phone. This may entail an officer calling you back once our dispatchers take your information during your initial call.
Although we will remain service-oriented, several of our programs and community interactions have been temporarily suspended during the State of Emergency in Dublin:
- All community education events (e.g., Active Threat Awareness Training, Personal Self-defense and Prescription Drug Take-Back Days)
- Citizen ride-alongs and departmental tours
- Community Service Officer (CSO) duties
- “Meet the Police” events
The strong relationship between the Dublin Community and the Police Department has never been more important. I have every confidence that we will persevere together by remaining patient, staying informed, and exercising recommended precautions during this atypical time.
Adhering to the Governor’s “Stay-at-Home” order will save lives and it is the responsibility of every Ohioan to use caution in every decision they make in the coming weeks. While it is not the department’s desire, we will remind residents of this order and provide education, if necessary. I also encourage members of this community to access the hundreds of miles of shared-use paths and sidewalks, as well as the hundreds of acres of parkland and nearby Metro Park in a safe and enjoyable manner. Ultimately, these orders are meant to deter, not to penalize, people and businesses.
I also implore you to be courteous to one another, take care of others and be upstanding community members. I promise that the members of the Dublin Police Department will do the same. The sworn officers, communications technicians and civilian support staff are highly committed to this community and feel honored to be called to serve you during this difficult time.
We are all in this together. Stay safe, be kind to one another and take care of your families and neighbors.
Chief Justin Páez
Pingback: City of Dublin Employee Daily Update – DubNet