Sandwich police talking to residents in their neighborhoods as part of new initiative

The Sandwich Police Department continues to reach out to residents to find out what is on their minds.

Last month, police officers talked to residents living in the Fairwinds subdivision as part of the department’s new Walk & Talk initiative.

“Residents can meet us and have conversations with us,” Sandwich police Chief Kevin Senne said. “The objective is to continue to do it during the summer months each year and going into different areas.”

The initiative is an extension of Senne’s efforts to hear from the community since becoming police chief in September. The department also has bimonthly community meetings along with Coffee With a Cop, which is held at different businesses on a rotating basis.

“I look forward to working with the members of the police department, city departments, City Council and the community,” Senne said after being sworn in. “I look forward to building strong relationships with the community and look forward to hearing from them to see what we as an organization are doing well and what we can be doing better.”

Senne said the first Walk & Talk event went well.

“We had good conversations all around,” he said. “The biggest concerns is always traffic – speeding cars and people not stopping at stop signs. We had a couple of conversations pertaining to solicitors and what we’re doing to address solicitors.”

Senne said the police department has information on its Facebook page about solicitors and solicitor permits that have been approved by the city.

“And we’re working on developing a concept of potentially having solicitors wearing a vest of some sort that indicates they are an approved solicitor,” he said.

For the next Walk & Talk, police officers will be in Webb subdivision in Sandwich at 2 p.m. July 20. Senne’s next community meeting is set for 6 p.m. July 24 in the training room at the Sandwich police station, 1251 E. 6th St.