Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Policing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Westport police highlight community programs and accessibility at Night Out event
Summary
At Westport Night Out, Chief Dunn and officers showcased community engagement programs, introduced specialized liaisons and units, and emphasized accessibility and outreach to seniors. The department announced a vacancy for a senior liaison and plans for outreach events this winter.
Westport Night Out brought town residents together with the Westport Police Department for an evening of introductions, program updates and outreach plans.
Chief Dunn, representing the department at the event, said the evening was intended to show "the townspeople that we're all working together and working for them." The host, a representative of the Westport Commission on Disability, opened the program and praised the department's accessibility and responsiveness, noting the police have an "open door policy" and are available to residents who call without an appointment.
Dunn described a range of community-facing activities: a community engagement team, an event referred to as "10/4" (noted as October 4 and described as a community coffee), holiday programs for children, and specialized liaisons assigned to domestic violence and opioid-response work. He also listed present officers, saying, "I'm Officer Sean Munzing, Officer Zachary Barabi, Officer Andrew Silva," while thanking them for attending the event.
The chief emphasized department efforts to support career development, pointing to units including a drone team, a sergeant assigned to SWAT, search-and-rescue members, peer support, detectives and school resource officers. The host thanked the department for organizing the well-attended event and urged Westporters to meet officers face to face; she said the community looks forward to seeing the chief and staff throughout the year.
The department did not announce specific dates or budgets for new programs at the event. The chief said the department is actively recruiting to fill a vacant senior liaison position and plans outreach on scams targeting older residents during the holiday season, potentially with a federal partner.
