Chester PD outlines five-year objectives
<span>CHESTER -- The new strategic plan for the Chester Police Department opens with a simple message from Chief Ryan Coffey.</span>
<span>"The Chester Police Department is in transition," Coffey wrote. "We have begun to commit ourselves as an organization that focuses on the challenges of this community in an effort to provide the best law enforcement services."</span>
<span>With the department's new motto - "Courage, Pride, Commitment" - prominently featured, the strategic plan outlined 17 objectives in the categories of Crime Reduction; Recruitment, Retention and Professional Development; Equipment and Technology and Community Involvement.</span>
<span>One of the objectives has been a hot-button issue in combating school shootings - increasing police involvement and presence in schools.</span>
<span>"Feasibility-wise, not anywhere near a school resource officer," Coffey said to the Herald Tribune. "A SRO is a whole nother ballgame that requires a tremendous financial commitment from both the municipality and the school district.</span>
<span>"Neither of which have those financial resources at this time, but I would be open to the idea if (the funds) became available."</span>
<span>Instead, Coffey said the department's idea is to "find reasons to be in the school."</span>
<span>"Just that face-to-face interaction is really what my interest is," Coffey said. "We've talked to schools about providing presentations and things that are as simple as traffic enforcement information for driver's education students.</span>
<span>"So, two times a year, once per semester, there would be an officer there interacting with students."</span>
<span>Coffey said Chester High School Principal Tim Keefe has invited officers to have their lunches at the school.</span>
<span>"I'm not going to get caught up on the material or why we're there, as much as the fact of the need for us to be there supersedes all, in my opinion," Coffey said.</span>
<span>Some of the objectives are immediate initiatives, such as addressing low-income rentals and vacant buildings, while others are more long-term, such as the construction of a new police station.</span>
<span>"Yes, my ultimate goal is to not be in the basement of (Chester) City Hall," Coffey said. "We've outgrown the facility.</span>
<span>"Not simply because of staffing numbers, but we've simply outgrown it because of all the things we do now. The demand of law enforcement is much greater than it was years ago when this department was established."</span>
<span>Coffey said his ideal facility would be friendly to both vehicle and foot traffic, meets the needs of handicapped accessibility and would be more welcoming than what it is currently.</span>
<span>"We're talking center-of-town-type locations," Coffey said.</span>
<span>Coffey said he was happy with the results from recent public safety surveys which factored into the development of the plan.</span>
<span>In previous comments to the Herald Tribune, Coffey said "drug enforcement" was the community's No. 1 concern in the surveys.</span>
<span>"The feedback from the community didn't necessarily surprise me," Coffey said. "We learned things, but nothing was shocking.</span>
<span>"I think that these are things we can truly address."</span>
<span>The full strategic plan can be viewed at www.chesterpolicedepartment.com.</span>