Lawrence police outline community partnership plan, introduce school therapy dog and monthly performance reports

Chief Rich Lockhart gave the Lawrence City Commission a detailed update on public safety programs and data during a work session April 15, introducing Officer Lindsey Bishop and Rosie, a therapy dog assigned to school resource duties, outlining results from a Department of Justice-facilitated Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships process, and presenting the department's first monthly performance reports.

The update focused on three areas: community engagement (highlighted by Rosie’s role in schools and events), the SPCP community process and council that grew from it, and newly published monthly performance metrics showing calls for service, alternative responses such as the mental health response team (MRT), and staffing levels. "She creates moments. She creates connections," Officer Lindsey Bishop said of Rosie, whom she and the department trained and certified for therapy work. "In a 3 minute passing period, the most I ever counted was 30. She had 30 contacts in a 3 minute period."

Why it matters: the report ties several initiatives the city has pursued — school resource officers, alternative response teams, and community engagement — to measurable work and a community-driven plan for next steps. The SPCP process,…