Community Policing
 A
Good ACT
("Aquatic Center Time")
An integral part of CPD's community-oriented
policing philosophy is the "identify and rectify"
approach to problem solving.
District II Patrol Sergeant Ben McBride identified a small problem
in western Clearwater, and - with the coordinated assistance of
the Parks and Recreation Department - rectified it with a big program.
Sgt. McBride knew that any number of the children living near the
brand new North
Greenwood Recreation and Aquatic Complex could not afford the
daily $2 admission to the pool. And with school out for the summer,
he knew there would be hundreds of local children wanting to spend
every sweltering summer day at the new state of the art aquatic
center.
Sgt. McBride approached Chief Sid Klein with an idea to reward
- with free admission to the pool - area youngsters who are good
citizens, who work to better the community, or who are either victims
of crimes or who help police in solving crimes. Sgt. McBride called
the plan A Good "ACT", an acronym for Aquatic Center Time.
With Chief Klein's endorsement, city officials and Parks and Recreation
Department Director Kevin Dunbar bought into A Good ACT. An daily
admission voucher was designed and distributed to Community Policing
officers working in the neighborhood. Those officers would use the
vouchers as positive reinforcement to deserving young citizens who
they encountered in their patrols.
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