SSPD LAUNCHES NEW COMMUNITY-FIRST INITIATIVES.
In late summer, the Sandy Springs Police Department started bringing a little fun to the job by giving away rubber duck-like turtles dressed in uniform. The idea came from the police department’s annual National Night Out event that brings officers and the community together the first Tuesday in August. Sgt. Giovanni Gomez, public information officer for the department, says, “Every agency that participates brings some type of swag with them.
This year we were looking for something new to give out to the community. We wanted something different, something that would put a smile on everybody’s face.” Since a turtle is the official mascot of Sandy Springs, that’s the character the department chose. Following the August event, some officers are keeping SSPD turtles in their cars to gift to citizens caught in action doing something right. “Most of the time when people interact with the police, something has gone badly. We want to change that. We want to humanize the badge and show the community we serve that there could be [good] encounters with the police department,” Gomez says.
SSPD also recently added a community dog, the black Labrador Skye, that will work alongside the force’s Victim Advocates to provide emotional support to residents. Skye’s handler and SSPD victim advocate Caity Donegan says to expect to see the pup at future events and around the community. “We want to educate people on why we have a therapy dog and what she can do,” says Donegan. “But also if I go out on calls for hard cases, I can bring her, and she can be a support for the family. We want her to be there for the community and be that support and comfort for them.”
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