The Loveland Police Department was recently named the April 2024 “Agency of the Month” by the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Law Enforcement Foundation for their outstanding community policing efforts.
In 2018, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Law Enforcement Foundation formed a committee named “Community Relations and Engagement” to work with agencies of all sizes and capabilities to highlight positive work that’s being done around Ohio each and every day. Then, the committee began a program named “Sharing Ohio’s Best” to bring awareness to the amazing work that agencies do all over Ohio to promote positive policing.
The Community Relations and Engagement Committee compiles submissions from agencies and selects one each month to be recognized. Each agency is eligible. Typically, the committee focuses on creativity and how the program impacts the individual community. Recent programs that have been recognized include a teen driving course, programs to help the disabled, and programs focusing on community safety.
In a statement, the committee wrote, “The Community Relations and Engagement Committee is pleased to announce the April 2024 Agency of the Month is the Loveland Police Department! Congratulations to Chief Gabrielson and his team for engaging their community in a 'whole-some' view. They have worked to include all age groups in their community policing strategy and built a reputation around educating the community on the importance of being engaged with their police agency. Keep up the great work!”
About the Loveland Police Department Community Relations Program
The Loveland Police Department strongly embraces the philosophy of Community Engagement in all its daily operations.
Citizen Police Academy. Through the Loveland Citizens Police Academy, adults go behind the scenes with LPD through 10 weeks of hands-on learning.
Students Resource Officers. LPD provides four full-time student resource officers for grades 1-12. The SROs work from each Loveland City School building and St. Columban School.
Buckle Up Campaign. LPD participated in the Quick Click Challenge. This is an annual awareness campaign to help promote Click It or Ticket, a national effort to enforce seatbelt laws.
Junior Police Academy. In collaboration with Goshen and Miami Townships, LPD hosted its week-long summer daycamp. Teens learned about fingerprinting, use of force, traffic stops and firearm training, plus took part in a K9 demo.
National Night Out. LPD partnered with Hamilton Township to host a National Night Out event in August. Lt. Szpak led a taser demo, and the K9 team showed off their skills, too. There was a police vs. kids water balloon toss, bounce houses, and tons of fun.
Stuff-A-Truck Food Drive. In May, officers collected non-perishable donations for Loveland LIFE Food Pantry during Loveland’s annual Food Truck Rally. The community generously packed LPD’s Ford F150, donating 487 items and more than $500.
About Loveland Police Department
The Loveland Police Department staffs 24 full-time police officers including the police chief, assistant chief, five lieutenants, and 17 patrol officers. Many of their team members have multiple roles at LPD including three evidence technicians, two Taser instructors, two firearms instructors, a K9 team, four school resource officers, six bike patrol officers, one detective, and two defensive tactics instructors.
Their administrative team is led by the systems manager and includes an operations assistant, records specialist, and property room specialist. LPD is also supported by two police chaplains and several volunteers who assist staff with many administrative tasks.
About Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police
The Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to continuing professionalism and innovation among police executives in order to assure the continued success of the law enforcement community. Established in 1928, the Association is a fully staffed organization, offering a broad range of professional, educational and informational services.
With a mission to enhance our profession through strong leadership, innovative programs and exemplary services, the Association’s goals are: to serve its members; to increase the public’s understanding of the role police play in maintaining our quality of community life; and to foster improvements in police education, practice and research.
About The Law Enforcement Foundation
The Law Enforcement Foundation (LEF) is a 501(c)3 organization established in 1985 by members the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP). The mission was created around creating safer communities through the continuing education of law enforcement executives, education to the children of the community through our trained DARE officers, and to educate law enforcement on special topics as trends indicate.
The Law Enforcement Foundation (LEF) is the only entity in Ohio certified to train Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) officers where officers are prepared to educate children and parents about drug abuse prevention, internet safety, bullying, decision-making skills, and personal responsibility.
The Law Enforcement Foundation is also the only entity to provide a three-tiered, executive-level management training for law enforcement, culminating in a Masters- level certification in law enforcement management.