By MATT PIKE
The St. Joseph Police Department along with other city officials recently conducted the second community health and safety fair to aid St. Joseph residents.
St. Joseph Police Chief Paul Luster says the event at John Lucas Park went really well and the events continue to grow.
"A little better turnout this time, we're always hoping for more, but we want to really keep building that to where we're having these positive effects in our community," Luster says on the KFEQmunnity show. "The big picture community impact, what we're really trying to do, is build those stronger community connections with everybody."
Along with the St. Joseph Police, the St. Joseph Fire Department, St. Joseph Health Department, and other city agencies and partnership agencies were out for the event earlier this month.
This marks the second community health and safety fair that has been held. Luster says seeing people receptive to these events is encouraging.
"You have to really, I guess kind of temper your expectations, that it takes time to build something like this but overall, a very positive things for the community, a very positive thing for our team members as well to get out there and be able to have those interactions with the community," Luster explains.
Luster says a key to community policing is having non enforcement-based contacts like his officers are able to have during this event, plus it provides other services such as smoke detectors from the fire department.
The city aims to hold four of these community health and safety fairs throughout the year. Luster says the planning stages are happening currently for the next one.
Interview
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