Cinco de Mayo shared its day with the second session of the City of Cambridge Citizens Academy, a four-week initiative that is having its trial run. This session, which took place at the Edward E. Watkins Safety Complex, was entitled “Public Safety & Public Works: Protecting Lives and Maintaining Infrastructure.”
The focus was on how Cambridge Police Department, Rescue Fire Company, Department of Public Works, and Information Technology protect the community from outside harm. As such, the attendees were led through an overview of those entities.
The Departments
Headed by Chief Justin Todd, the city’s police department is made up of 34 sworn officers, six office staff, one cadet, and two recruits. This team strives to protect life and property, prevent crime, and enhance public safety while building lasting partnerships with residents, businesses, and organizations. This last part is known as community oriented policing.
Organized in 1881, the 100-percent volunteer Rescue Fire Company reduces the risk and impact of fires and emergencies, delivers rapid life-saving response, and strengthens community resilience. They log an average of 1,100 incidents per year.
Public Works is responsible for infrastructure maintenance, essential services, community livability, and a safe and accessible city. This includes dealing with streets, parks, sanitation, stormwater management, lighting, and much more. It is the entity that touches the lives of the citizens most directly every day.
The Tour
After the informational segment, Chief Todd led a tour of the police department, generously showing the conference room and offices, Criminal Investigation Division, squad room, holding area, and exercise room. In that last room, Assistant Fire Chief Jason Shorter took over the tour and presented RFC’s facilities, including the extra-cushy chairs in the TV room, the kitchen, the fire pole, the beds, and the state-of-the-art vehicles.
The Panel
Tara Felts from the City Manager’s office finally had to track down the group after the popular tour took so long and cut into the time set aside for the panel discussion. Everyone returned to the conference room for a forum that included Chief Todd, Chief Shorter, City Commissioner Frank Stout, and Public Works Director Wayne Suggs.
During the discussion, which covered such topics as the police advisory board, juvenile crime, emergency preparedness, and RFC’s duties extending beyond firefighting, several academy attendees thanked the panelists for their work making the city safer.