Getting to Know Police Chief Reese

Ruston’s new police chief brings a new philosophy to town. Her goal is to have this department take the concept of community policing to a new level. By all appearances, she is doing just that.

Sharon Reese has been at Ruston’s helm about 6 weeks. Things look and feel different ~ the door is open (literally, the office door is wide open most days), thank you notes go out to community members who help the department, a community police newsletter is in the works and starting this month, officers will be walking around town for part of each shift.

The new foot patrols mean we get to meet and greet our guys at eye level. Our kids can hug their legs; we can shake their hands and thank them for a job well done face to face. The officers will get more familiar with the layout in town and know the vulnerable areas better as a result.

Chief Reese describes police work in Ruston as refreshing. She enjoys talking to people. It’s important for the police department to be transparent and to get to know the people they work for in the community. Having strong relationships pays off when residents are comfortable contacting them with seemingly small pieces if information. Those small pieces pay off, such as the tip from the credit union that helped to identify Rosemary Dye after she was killed on the train tracks.

A quote from one of her community thank you letters captures it well: “It requires a partnership between police and citizens to deter crime and protect property. Community members like you make our jobs easier and result in strong communications between the police and neighborhoods as we follow up on suspicious activities.”

When asked her priority for the department, the first thing for her was connecting with the community before we talk about the “stuff”. She has a strong history of building partnerships and wants to use these skills in Ruston. She notes that leaders can’t make good decisions without information. She’s has met with each of our council members and works to keep them informed. She is hired by the mayor and works well with him as well.

She is very pleased with the support of our elected leaders. The council recently approved the use of the dispatch services (LESA) for increased record keeping, which enables our officers to spend more time out on the streets.

It’s hard for the police to do a professional job without the resources. She feels the police budget has been left behind with all the land development concerns. That’s understandable, but its time to rethink that priority. Like many small departments, Ruston spends the time, money and resources to train officers only to quickly loose them to bigger agencies. We need to find ways to make a career in Ruston attractive. Wages are far below other neighboring departments, many of whom offer large signing bonuses for experienced officers.

Being a police officer is a challenging job ~ they have to go from the friendly hi on the street corner to responding to an armed robbery at a moments notice. It takes a unique personality and ability to multi-task with very different skills.

She wants people in Ruston to realize we have an approachable department in town. Many of us have poor experiences with police authority that can keep us away, but she hopes to change that perception for people here.

All in all, Chief Reese brings a new approach to our police department. Like past chiefs, she is proud of her officers and cares about this community, but she offers new skills that are needed in this town. Be sure to stop in and say hi yourself.

Karen