The City of White Settlement was notified during the statewide annual conference held in Houston, Texas in October that its Police Department was named as a Finalist in the 2024 Texas Municipal League Public Safety Award category for cities under 25,000 residents.
“With hundreds of submissions each year, our department is humbled being selected as a finalist that showcases the level of community engagement that we are providing to residents and businesses,” said Chief of Police Christopher Cook. “The community deserves this recognition for coming out to support local law enforcement. Together, we are stronger when we find ways to connect with each other thereby creating opportunities to bridge the gap between police and residents.”
The award submission, which will be featured in the November edition of the Texas Town and City magazine published monthly by the Texas Municipal League, highlights quarterly community engagement programs that seek to build trust between law enforcement and community members. Specifically, the WSPD annual Back the Boo Trunk or Treat event that was launched in 2023 captivated the award committee’s decision to select White Settlement. Over 1,000 attendees participated in meeting local public safety teams while receiving candy, goodies, and refreshments (Aerial photo attached).
Corporal Laura Gonzalez, who leads the Strategic Comms Team, came up with the new program idea to bring families together the day before Halloween to connect with police officers. This affords families who celebrate Halloween in their neighborhoods to still have October 31st as a family day.
This year, we are hosting our second Back the Boo Event at Veterans Park on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
A video highlighting the Back the Boo event can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/VruPGymgKD8?feature=shared
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