We all were shocked and horrified to see the images of rioters violently breaching the Capitol building yesterday. While there were and are no direct threats to the City of Takoma Park, our agency immediately implemented security protocols. This involved increasing our staffing, securing high profile sites in the City, and coordinating with our law enforcement partners across the region to provide mutual aid.

We implemented a high-profile police presence in the city to deter any events in Takoma Park. We will continue our heightened level of alertness, communicate with our regional law enforcement partners, and monitor intelligence.

I know many are shocked and scared by the events in the District of Columbia yesterday and the possibility of our city becoming the target of certain groups. I want to be clear there are no active threats against the City of Takoma Park. That being said, the Takoma Park Police Department is prepared for any event that may occur in our beautiful city. We have operational plans in place and have Memorandums of Understanding with our law enforcement partners should any event occur in Takoma Park.

We are here to protect all residents equally and with dignity and respect.

Starting  Monday, January 4 through Friday, January 29, 2021, Takoma Park Police will be collecting sheets, towels, and bath rugs to help the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.

**NOTE:  For the animals’ safety, NO fitted sheets, items with zippers or snaps, and/or other fabrics with rips or frayed edges.**

Please bring your new or gently used bath towels, beach towels, bathroom rugs, sheets, hand towels, and washcloths to:

Takoma Park Police Department
Lobby 
7500 Maple Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 

We will get them to the animal shelter.

Thank you!
Contact:
Catherine Plevy
Public Information Officer
Takoma Park Police Department

Email: cathyp@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7142
Cell: 240-338-2901

The City office closures for upcoming holidays are listed below. The Police Department is always open for emergency services.

New Year’s Day: City of Takoma Park operations is closed from Thursday, December 31 at 6:00 pm through Saturday, January 2 for the New Year’s Day Holiday.

Holiday-Trash and Recycling Pick Up Changes:
Please note that collections scheduled for Friday, January 1, 2021, will happen a day earlier, on Thursday, December 31.

We wish you and yours a happy, safe and healthy holiday season! Here’s to a better 2021!

#wearamask #stayhome #HeresTo2021

The following is from an email sent to the City Manager from Takoma Park
resident Jeff Bell, used with permission

Hello Suzanne,

My name is Jeff Bell, and I’m a resident here in Takoma Park.  For years, I’ve meant to reach out on this topic, but have never taken the step.I want to share with you how delightful our experiences have been with the crews that handle trash removal/recycling/compost collection.

For a little background, I have two sons, who are now 6 and almost 4.  Since our oldest was a baby, we would often go on walks in the neighborhood early in the morning and would encounter the garbage trucks.  Like most young boys, both of our sons found the garbage trucks to be very cool.  Over time this evolved from simple chance encounters to us going out in the morning to “hunt” the garbage trucks.  This has been going on for years, and I must say has given both my wife and me some truly remarkable memories.

What I find special is how incredibly warm and engaging every member of this team has been over the years.  Several will know our kids by name, and all will take a second to chat with us when they’ve been found.  In Pre-COVID times, my kids were very excited to get fist bumps from the crew.  At one point, they would report to their daycare teachers at morning drop-off how many trucks we found and how many “knucks” we got.  It certainly brightened everyone’s day that heard tales of our adventures garbage truck hunting.  I even had people in my office inquire as to how many garbage trucks we found on a particular morning.  There were times during hot summer months where my boys insisted that we take a couple of extra Gatorades with us that we could share to make sure the guys were staying hydrated.

I’ve had countless people witness our interactions, and go out of their way to tell me how big of a smile it put on their face, and how great the workers are.  I mean, who wouldn’t want to see two boys getting fist bumps from their heroes? COVID has forced us to pause on the fist bumps, but my boys will still run out of the house to greet the truck when we hear it pull up on Tuesdays.  There have been times we’re in the front yard and we’ll see a truck on Philadelphia, and if they see us they’ll always give a honk and a wave — while it’s not a fist bump, my boys really do appreciate being acknowledged.  I’ve even had instances where workers would be driving by our house (off work in their personal vehicle) and stop to say hello when we’re in the front yard.

I think it’s important to recognize the impact these hard-working gentlemen are having beyond just the service they provide — they are having a very positive in the community, and bring a great deal of joy to a lot of people, and I can attest that they make my boys feel special.

I’ve included a few pictures from over the years, including one that was taken just this morning.

The City of Takoma Park recently issued a request for proposals (RFP) to solicit the services of a facilitator or facilitator team to manage the City’s Public Safety Task Force, established by City Council Resolution 2020-21. This Task Force will reimagine the structure and role of public safety in Takoma Park through engaged discussions and recommend changes to public safety policies and funding.

After a review of proposals and team interviews, the City has selected the joint facilitation team of LINK Strategic Partners (LINK) and Expectant Advisory, LLC. LINK is a social impact strategic communications and community engagement firm with demonstrated commitment to the community and civic-based work for causes that matter.  Expectant Advisory, LLC, is a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led consultancy with experience facilitating dynamic discussions across the United States and around the world.

In light of the sensitive nature of the topics the Public Safety Task Force will address, the City selected a partner who was able to demonstrate their capacity for and experience with strategic planning, racial equity, and community-building efforts across the country. This year alone, LINK and Expectant Advisory have convened national action-oriented discussions on equity, facilitated discussions on public safety reform, and have worked with partners to apply a Black history and culture lens to the history of policing.

Additionally, it was critically important that the project team selected was diverse and reflected the diversity of our community. LINK’s organization reflects the pluralistic, multi-ethnic composition of not only Takoma Park, but the United States of America. LINK’s youngest employee is 17 years old and their most senior staff member is 92. More than half of LINK’s staff is female and nearly 70% are people of color. This project will be led by a diverse group of facilitators, who can provide context and framing for a discussion and connect with the communities with whom we will engage as part of this process.

Given that the City of Takoma Park has long been a leader in inclusive approaches to policies and engagement, we are honored to partner with LINK and their partner Expectant Advisory, LLC as they help us reimagine public safety.

Links of Interest:

• City Council Resolution 2020-21 Establishing a Task Force on Reimagining Public Safety to Ensure Racial Justice
• Task Force Facilitation Team
• Takoma Park’s Racial Equity Initiative Project Page
• Watch the recorded Reimagining Public Safety Task Force Informational Meeting held on Tuesday, January 26

Website and Social Media Info

www.linksp.com

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