STARKVILLE – Jiu-Jitsu, using a taser and safely pursuing in a police car are just a few of the skills Starkville police officers learn when joining the force.
At the Starkville Rotary Club meeting Monday, Police Chief Mark Ballard spoke with members about the mission and goals of the department, the training that goes into being an officer and ways the department attempts to go beyond just responding to crimes in the community.
“We’re not looking just to be a police department in our community,” Ballard said. “We concentrate continually on a mindset of being guardians … a mindset of, ‘Hey, do what you can to make it better.’ And in doing so, you will further community trust. It’s very important for us and what we do.”
Last year Starkville Police Department’s 75 police officers and 10 reserve officers made 1,700 arrests and responded to 13,000 calls for service, Ballard said.
Ballard showcased footage of officers on the job, depicting them engaging in car pursuits, de-escalating fights through the use of non-lethal weapons like tasers and training in Jiu-Jitsu.
“When you go into very hectic situations, you need confidence in knowing how to handle yourself and handle your equipment,” Ballard told The Dispatch after the meeting. “The only way you’re going to get (that) is through hard training, and that’s (why) I’m very proud of this department and what our officers do.”
Ballard told Rotarians the department voluntarily meets roughly 217 standards set by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies to be recognized as a nationally accredited department.
Some of these standards require the department to build relationships with community members, perform annual reviews and prepare plans for both addressing critical incidents. The goal is to enhance public safety by helping agencies develop operational directives, strengthen accountability and improve community relations, CALEA’s website said.
“Would you go to a hospital that’s not accredited? Would you go to a university that is not accredited?” Ballard said. “Then why in the world, in this nation, do we expect law enforcement services from agencies that are not accredited?”
Ballard said that hosting events like National Night Out and speaking with groups like Starkville Rotary Club helps SPD to not only meet its accreditation, but also to keep the public informed on the purpose of the department and keep officers informed about the community they serve.
“You can’t be a guardian if you don’t know who you’re guarding,” he said. “… We gotta get beyond the same 10% that we interact with and (improve) that to 100% of our community.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
