FOX21 will live stream the town hall in this article, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June, 20.
(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — ‘Building Safe Neighborhoods Together,’ is the idea behind an upcoming town hall between several law enforcement agencies and community partners in Southern Colorado and is presented by Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers.
“I think safety means a lot of different things to different people and this gives us an opportunity to hear their concerns,” said Deputy Chief David Edmondson of the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD).
FOX21 Morning Anchor Abbie Burke will be moderating the town hall, which is set to take place on Tuesday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Carmel Community School, located at 1740 Pepperwood Drive.
The town hall is free and open to the public. FOX21 will live stream the event in this article, and for those who can attend in person, Harrison School District 2 will provide a Spanish interpreter and headsets.
Panel participants include; Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, CSPD Deputy Chief Edmondson, El Paso County Sheriff Joe Roybal, Harrison School District 2 Superintendent Wendy Berhanzel, and Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers Chairman Don Addy.
“The whole idea is to share information with the community on how they can help the law enforcement agencies reduce crime in our community and the idea is to present tips for the community that they can use every day to help fight crime,” said Pikes Peak Area Crime Stoppers Chairman Don Addy.
According to Addy, Crimes Stoppers is a nonprofit led by volunteers with the mission of providing a platform for citizens to share information they may have.
“Our premise is that someone, other than the criminal, has information that will help, and if they will share that with us, on a very anonymous basis, anonymous forever, then we will pass that on to the appropriate jurisdiction. And, if there is an arrest made by virtue of that information then we will pay a reward,” Addy said.
Addy said the number of tips coming into Crime Stoppers continues to increase, and over the last couple of years, the number of rewards paid out has as well.
For Deputy Chief Edmondson, his and CSPD’s hopes are to simply engage with the community.
“Really, that is a big focus, especially for Chief Vasquez, it gives them an opportunity to present concerns, it gives us an opportunity to really explain what our tactics are, what our strategies are, and town hall meetings are just the perfect venue for that to occur,” said Deputy Chief Edmondson.
Crime Stoppers plans to continue hosting these town halls across various communities in Southern Colorado at least once a quarter.
