The more information first responders have when they arrive at the scene of an emergency, the better they are able to assess the situation, leading to a more positive outcome. Carrollton Police Department’s Special Neighbor Assistance Program is an effort to identify citizens with special needs and better assist them.
“Enhancing our citizens’ well-being and confidence by deploying proactive and progressive policing methods will elevate our most vulnerable population’s life in our city,” Sgt. Omereo C. Potts said. “It is of the utmost priority to deliver the most professional, efficient services to the residents of Carrollton.”
The program utilizes information gathered from a form, which is filled out by residents on a voluntary basis. This information is then given to 911 dispatch and entered into their system where it shows up on the computer monitor during a 911 call from that resident. Dispatch advises all responding agencies this residence may contain a person with special needs, such as being non-ambulatory, wheelchair-bound or bedridden, hearing or visually impaired. It also provides a secondary contact person for the residence. By having this information available, response time is significantly reduced and there are fewer miscommunications on the scene.
Some goals of the department’s community policing programs, including SNAP, are to increase police presence and visibility in neighborhoods, do door-to-door knock-and-talks, establish rapport and community feedback, hand out crime-prevention material, provide information on crime affecting that neighborhood and identify citizens that might require special assistance.
The SNAP program increases residents’ feelings of security, enhances cohesiveness between neighbors and public safety personnel and decreases response and reaction times for all public safety and emergency response personnel.
All members of the department are encouraged to identify residents who live in the city limits of Carrollton who may qualify for SNAP. Information may also be collected via officer/citizen contact, computers, phone, mail or from contacts made by other officers or city employees.
“Sgt. Kurt Catudal established the SNAP program while he was here,” said Sgt. Potts. “He put his heart and soul into it. I proudly keep this program going just as he intended.”
For questions concerning this program or to submit your or a loved one’s special needs information to the Carrollton Police Department, please call (770) 834-4451.