Post by bluepride on Oct 8, 2011 13:57:47 GMT -5
New FWPD liasion officer "ready for new challenge"
Fort Worth Police Department Officer Kellie Whitehead said this week that she sees her new assignment as the department’s liaison to the LGBT community as an exciting next step in her 12-year career with the department.
“I was ready for a new challenge, for something different, and after talking to [former LGBT Liaison Officer Sara Straten] I was very excited about this new opportunity,” Whitehead said.
Whitehead takes over as LGBT liaison from Straten, who had held the position since it was created two years ago in the wake of the
Rainbow Lounge raid. The liaison officer is part of the FWPD’s Public Information Office, and PIO Supervisor Sgt. Pedro Criado said that Straten had chosen to move to a new position “where she can get back to doing hands-on police work.”
Criado said that Whitehead’s previous assignment as a Neighborhood Police Officer had given her experience that will be invaluable in her new role as LGBT liaison.
“The Neighborhood Police Officer program is about community policing. These officers are assigned to work in a specific designated area and to build relationships with the people of that neighborhood,” Criado explained.
“A patrol officer responds to specific calls and has to clear those calls and move on to the next one. The Neighborhood Police Officer is the one who is there, on call 24-7, to follow up on any problems. They are mediators, friends, problem solvers. This program frees these officers up, gives them flexible schedules, so they can work on issues long-range,” Criado added.
Read article: New FWPD liasion officer "ready for new challenge"
Congratulations and good luck to PO Kellie Whitehead. I'm sure she'll do a good job. The previous liasion went to another assignment. Good for her. Now she'll have more time to have dinner wth her Daddy. And if she can't, maybe she can talk the department into changing their schedules around so she can. Did she show up at the conference like she was supposed to?