App extends police outreach, allows comments on officers

The Miami Township Police Department is expanding its community outreach through social media, including seeking feedback on officers’ encounters with the public.

The department has launched a free mobile app that residents can download to their phones. The app allows users to provide tips for officers, leave a comment or complaint, and get information from the department’s school resource officers and detectives, according to the township.

Established primarily for residents, the app can also be used by those who work or spend time in the township. Miami Twp. is a job, business and entertainment center for the south Dayton area and is one of the most populated townships in Ohio with a daytime population of more than 50,000.

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“We’re taking interested in anything from the general public,” Miami Twp. PD Public Information Officer Pat McCoy said. “Obviously, if somebody who works in Miami Twp. or comes through and sees something” the department would welcome the communication.

A crime mapping tool is also in the works and will be available later, officials said.

The mobile app can be found in the Apple Store and will be coming soon in Google Play, according to the township’s website. Search for “Miami Township PD.”

“We’re doing everything we can to place value on information that residents give us,” McCoy said. “We hope more residents step up……we want this to continue to expand our outreach to the community.”

The township’s website also provides a link for citizen feedback to its internal affairs personnel.

“Police officers and employees are expected to be professional, courteous and polite during all encounters with the public. We encourage citizen feedback whether it be a commendation or a complaint,” according to the township’s website.

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“Commendations help build a strong sense of community and will be shared with the employees. To establish mutual trust, both citizens and police department employees must be assured that a fair and impartial system exists to thoroughly investigate and properly resolve complaints of misconduct.”

Comments can be sent to: Citizen_Feedback@miamitownship.com

Upon being promoted from captain in May, Police Chief Charlie Stiegelmeyer let his officers know that he was “going to set the bar high” and “expect nothing but excellence.”

The programs announced in recent weeks are an extension of the department’s concept of community outreach, McCoy said.

For years, among those endeavors has been a National Night Out program that has been consistently ranked in the top five for communities which have between 15,000-50,000 residents.

In 2018, it was ranked third nationally in that category, according to National Night Out’s website.

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