Cities with large and growing college student populations, often living in downtown housing complexes close to nightlife districts, are especially challenged to find solutions to public concerns about late-night safety and security. The burden often falls onto police departments, with a first response of deployment of additional officers and aggressive crowd control tactics at closing time. College Station is the home of Texas A & M University and hosts an entertainment district directly across the street from the university campus. The College Station Tourism & Entertainment Policing Unit was established as a dedicated unit to address the specific needs of entertainment venues and the district overall. Officers and commanders in Columbia, SC’s 5 Points entertainment district embrace a guardian mindset to build public trust and legitimacy. The officers who are assigned to the district are strategically refocused into a majority guardian mindset as opposed to a majority Warrior mindset. This webinar features presentations on how two police departments reoriented their approach and improved relations with businesses and communities, and improved public safety, reduced crime and disorder.
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