We implemented a philosophical approach of geographic policing, or as we call it, geo-policing.

In Cary, we believe that community safety is directly tied to how involved citizens are with helping keep it safe.

To that end, and in order to continue building strong relationships and trust with our citizens, we divided the town into three separate geographic areas, or districts, each with its own command team.

By doing so, patrol officers, school resource officers and supervisors are better able to become experts on the needs, issues and concerns of the people within the specific areas they serve.

Geo-policing emphasizes citizen interaction and participation in problem solving. What is important to you is important to us. Our objective is for you to get to know the officers that are responsible for patrolling your district, and for the officers to know you as well.

While changes in crime statistics are important, our success with geo-policing will be determined just as much by how our citizens feel about the program.

We remain one department but with a shift in operational focus from a global, town-wide perspective to a service emphasis tailored to the unique characteristics of smaller geographical areas.

We believe this focus will allow for greater command accountability regarding the issues that have a direct impact on your quality of life, to more quickly identify emerging trends, and be more nimble at deploying resources to meet the need.

I encourage you to visit our Web site at townofcary.org for more information about our Geo-policing efforts.

We stand ready to serve, and believe that geo-policing is one more tool we will use to help keep Cary one of the best places to live, work and raise a family in America. Please let us know how we're doing.