Submitted photo / Poland Township Police Department Poland Township police officer Chelsea Wolfe, left, and canine officer Sal visit classrooms as part of the Poland Township Police Department’s community policing program. Visits such as this helped Poland Township Police Department to be recognized statewide this month.

POLAND TOWNSHIP — The Poland Township Police Department has been named the July 2026 Agency of the Month for outstanding community policing efforts by The Law Enforcement Foundation and the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.

Township police officials said community policing is part the department’s culture, whether it’s the school resource officers, the Citizens Police Academy, Coffee with a Cop, neighborhood watch, Safety Forces appreciation picnic, youth safety programs or simply officers stopping to talk with residents and business owners.

“We emphasize being visible, approachable and invested in the people we serve,” its website states.

The idea of honoring Ohio police departments for community service came from the formation of a new committee. According to a recent news release, in 2018, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Law Enforcement Foundation formed a committee called “Community Relations and Engagement” to work with agencies of all sizes and capabilities to highlight their positive work in Ohio daily. Part of that committee’s work included the “Sharing Ohio’s Best” program, which features an outstanding Ohio department each month.

The committee compiles submissions from agencies and selects one department each month. Regarding Poland Township’s selection, the committee said in a statement, “We are proud to name the Poland Township Police Department as our July 2026 Agency of the Month for the Sharing Ohio’s Best program. We commend Chief (Greg) Wilson and his staff for their exceptional commitment to public service and for fostering deep-rooted trust within their community.”

Among some of the community policing programs Poland Township officers take part in regularly are Coffee with a Cop, the Safety Forces appreciation picnic, Cones Community Connections, Buckle Up with Brutus, Trunk or Treat, the Citizens Police Academy, neighborhood watches and the canine units.

“Community connection is a cornerstone of our policing philosophy,” Wilson said. “Congratulations to the entire department on this well-deserved honor.”

Wilson said community engagement is a vital part of policing.

“We talk about it constantly,” he said. “It’s reinforced in our training, our operational expectations, and in the example our supervisors set every day. We recognize officers who build relationships with the public just as much as we recognize good enforcement work because we believe both are essential to effective policing.”

Wilson said enforcement and community engagement are not separate responsibilities; they go hand-in-hand.

“We receive a tremendous amount of positive feedback from our community, and I believe that’s a direct result of the culture we’ve built within our department,” he said. “One of our top priorities was changing the mindset from simply responding to calls to truly engaging with our community. We wanted every officer to understand that every interaction matters and that trust is built one conversation at a time.”

• Coffee with a Cop provides residents with an informal and welcoming setting to speak directly with officers, ask questions and share concerns. These open conversations have helped build transparency, approachability and mutual trust within the community, according to the department’s website.

• The Safety Forces Appreciation Picnic is dedicated to recognizing first responders while bringing officers, families and community members together in a positive and relaxed environment.

• Cones Community Connections is a second-shift community policing initiative at Handel’s Ice Cream. Officers meet residents in a casual, family-friendly setting, allowing for natural conversations and relationship-building.

• Buckle Up with Brutus is geared toward elementary school students and teaches the importance of seatbelt and booster seat safety.

• The department’s annual Trunk or Treat is a fun and approachable way of fostering positive interactions between officers and families. Officers also frequently visit local schools to read stories to students, helping build trust and familiarity with law enforcement at an early age.

• Citizens Police Academy was launched earlier this year and offers residents an in-depth look at law enforcement operations, policies and decision-making.