Emailed the person with a response regarding our community engagement.

Hello Anita, My name is Steve Kellams and I am the Captain of Administration for the Bloomington Police Department. I received a copy of your UReport and wanted to take a minute to respond and provide you with some information regarding our outreach programs to the community. The Bloomington Police Department has been very receptive to the needs of the community and takes every opportunity to engage the community when possible. So far this year we have scheduled 97 community outreach events and we know that list will grow. The events include everything from tours of the department to speaking events for community organizations. In June three officers attended the Crestmont Community/Family Night, which is the location you referred to as "Pigeon Hill", with the expressed purpose of interacting with the minority community. We also offer teen outreach aimed at minority youth through our Explorer program and our week long Teen Academy. The Teen Academy was advertised heavily in the Crestmont community, as well as other minority areas in the city. Upcoming planned events are booths at the Pride Summerfest, which is aimed towards the LGBTQ community, and the Fiesta del Otono, which is a Latino event. BPD has also offered training and outreach to Middle Way House, which is a local shelter for battered and abused women and the Shalom House, which provides services for those experiencing homelessness. We host "Coffee with a Cop" monthly at different locations throughout the city to try and improve communications with everyone in Bloomington. Finally, we offer a Citizens Police Academy every year. This is an 11 week program where participants meet every Tuesday night, from 6-8:30 p.m., and learn about the Bloomington Police Department and how it functions. The Academy is made up of lectures and demonstrations by various units and members of BPD. I hope I was able to give you some idea of the things we have been doing to improve the communication and community relations between the department and the citizens of Bloomington. I would be happy to hear any ideas or suggestions you might have to help us continue to provide Bloomington with the best police force possible. Thank you,

Dear Anita Rausch, Thank you for reaching out with your concerns regarding race relations and community policing in Bloomington. I have passed along your message to Police Chief Mike Diekhoff and you should be hearing from the Police Department soon. Sincerely, John Hamilton, Mayor Case #154002

Chief could you respond to Ms. Rausch's inquiries about BPD outreach programs? Thanks.