Tuesday, February 08, 2000
Officer of the year sees job as community service
Lt. Higgins got alley cleaned up
BY PERRY BROTHERS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A Cincinnati police beat lieutenant was honored Monday as the officer of the year.
Lt. Ronald Higgins of District 5 was honored for his role in the community-oriented policing (COP) program by the downtown Cincinnati Exchange Club at a ceremony proclaiming this week National Crime Prevention Week.
At the ceremony, Mayor Charlie Luken touted a decade of declining crime rates in Cincinnati, but he said too many residents continue to be victimized.
Focus on prevention
“This is a week when we try to focus on ways when our police division and our community can work together for crime prevention,” Mr. Luken said.
Toward this goal, Lt. Col. Ronald Twitty, patrol bureau commander, said the division is emphasizing community relationships.
“We're trying to have a customer service approach to everything we do,” he said.
Among the division's success stories is the COPS program.
“This type of nontradi tional policing that we've done works,” Lt. Higgins told the small crowd of officers, Exchange Club members and media in a City Hall conference room.
“As a result of this type of policing, we've reduced crime — the number of radio calls goes down.”
Lt. Higgins said relatives have been on the force since 1903. He joined the force in 1971 and has been the District 5 first shift commander since August 1997.
His nontraditional approach to policing included organizing a group clean-up of Northside's Hukill Alley.
Officers and neighbors removed 24 dump truck loads of trash, tree limbs and other debris. Street lights were repaired, and arrangements were made to continue to care for the area.
A problem-solver
Several organizations have commended Lt. Higgins for using various city resources to solve problems in the district's neighborhoods.
James N. Zazanis, a downtown Cincinnati Exchange Club member, said local chapters of the national group honor officers each year.
Nationwide, there are about 33,000 members in the club which emphasizes citizenship, service to youths and prevention of child abuse.
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