Well, it is almost 2017! 2016 was certainly an interesting year to say the least. Looking to next year, you may be wondering how we can improve an already great Lafayette community and how you can make a difference. We at LPD are always looking for new people with whom we can partner. Obviously, our focus is on crime and safety in Lafayette, however, there are plenty of other opportunities where you can get connected and make a positive impact within our city.
If you haven’t already, get connected on one (or more) of the police department’s social media outlets. Our neighborhood-based platform is Nextdoor.com. You can join the neighborhood in which you live and share information about what is going on around you, report suspicious events or people to your neighbors, and keep abreast of the things that can keep you and your property safe. If you already are signed up, make sure you tell your friends, family, and acquaintances about Nextdoor. LPD is also on Twitter (www.twitter.com/LafayetteINPD), Nixle (www.nixle.com), Instagram (www.instagram.com/LafayetteINPD), and has an LPD website (www.lafayettepolice.us). We try to push as much information out as possible to keep all of our citizens informed.
I would also like to commend the thousands of people that have called into the police department over the past year to report criminal activity, suspicious behavior, drug tips, ordinance violations, and many other pieces of information that help us do our jobs better. Each year, we receive approximately 100,000 phone calls to our dispatch center for a wide variety of complaints and incidents. We certainly could not do our jobs without you and the many people that call Lafayette “home”. Please continue to help us help Lafayette by reporting any of the aforementioned. You can send tips through Nextdoor.com to me, call our non-emergency line (807-1200), report to the anonymous tip-line, We-Tip, at 800-78-CRIME, or report to the local Tippecanoe County Drug Task Force tip-line at 807-1670. We count on you to be our eyes and ears. And we cannot attempt to solve a problem of which we are unaware.
We, as citizens of this community, must continue to look out for our neighbors. Check in on them from time to time and make sure they are doing alright, especially if they are elderly. I am proud to live in an area where the people truly care about each other and are not afraid or unwilling to lend a helping hand.
LPD is always looking for new partners to improve the service we provide. We have an established Lafayette Police Foundation that supports the department’s operations, from purchasing body camera equipment to funding our D.A.R.E. operations to helping our K9 program. If you are interested in going above and beyond and donating to the Police Foundation, you can visit the Foundation website at www.lafayettepolicefoundation.com. You will be able to find out more information about what the Lafayette Police Foundation does and how you can help.
Finally, I would like to thank you for your continued support of the police department’s efforts. Although you will not hear our patrol officers and detectives talk about how hard they work, I can assure you that they are diligently investigating criminal incidents, preventing crime, and attempting to stay on top of general disorder. We certainly are not alone in this. In addition to the help from the citizens of Lafayette, we have people throughout the City of Lafayette government that work extremely hard in order to keep Lafayette a great place to live, work, and visit.
Here’s to a healthy, prosperous, and safe 2017!
Lt. Gossard