HBAC #151: Hilliard Division of Police Chief Michael Woods
About this episode
The episode features a conversation with Hilliard Police Chief Michael Woods about community policing and the challenges of policing a growing suburb.
With the latest episode of the HBAC the guys welcome Hilliard Police Chief Michael Woods to the program for a focused conversation on our burgeoning suburb. Community Policing Woods described community policing as a core operational philosophy beginning at the hiring stage. Officers, he said, are expected to be visible and approachable whether that means walking neighborhood events, interacting with children at city celebrations, teaching self-defense classes or participating in programs like the Citizens Police Academy and Youth Safety Academy. The chief emphasized that officers are encouraged to build relationships before crises occur hoping residents view police as a resource rather than a distant enforcement mechanism. Growth in Population and the Staffing Challenge The conversation also explored the realities of policing a rapidly growing suburb. Woods explained that roughly two-thirds of Hilliard’s officers are assigned to patrol functions with specialized units focus on investigations, school resource operations, traffic safety and crime analysis. He discussed how the department uses a newer civilian intelligence analyst to identify crime patterns, analyze digital evidence…
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