ARTICLE
In an effort to establish a mechanism for the Marion Police Department to connect with the businesses that operate within the Marion community, Chief Joe McHale has issued a 100-day challenge to officers. Chief McHale wants the businesses that are currently operating in Marion, or considering moving to Marion, to know that the department is committed to ensuring the safety and security of their investments. The goal of the 100-day challenge is to personally contact every business in Marion, Iowa from May 15 to August 23, 2018. The effort will allow the beat officers and supervisors to engage with business owners, employees and managers. They will introduce themselves and provide a folder of reference material about the City to these commercial entities. Officers will also be tasked to update emergency contact information during these visits. Finally, officers may arrange a security assessment for the business, if deemed appropriate. Marion PD recently instituted a new data-driven deployment strategy. This will allow the relationship between officers and the community to be enhanced by narrowing the scope of responsibility for officers. Officers are now taking ownership of their areas by utilizing City and intelligence resources to pro-actively problem solve.