In an effort to better connect with the community, the Chattanooga Police Department has announced a new program to allow citizens to virtually ride along with a police officer on duty.
In an announcement on Wednesday, police Chief David Roddy said the new program will allow people to sign up to virtually be in the car with an officer for a half hour, or up to an hour. The citizen can learn about what's going on in the neighborhood and get a first-hand look at what it's like to be in a police vehicle during a call - or just have a conversation with an officer.
Roddy added that having a virtual component to the ride-along program offers access that some might get in person, whether someone has anxiety about being in a police car or is physically unable to do so or faces other barriers.
Roddy said the idea was brought to the table by Officer Sydney Hamon, then a rookie officer, in 2019. Hamon said she had the idea during the pandemic.
"Once protests started, no one wanted to talk to police," Hamon said. "So when I saw that, I kept trying to figure out a way to engage with the community. Then I saw that everybody ran to social media to talk about what was going on and everyone was talking at each other, but nobody was talking with each other, no one was speaking with each other or really listening."
Hamon said even the idea of her department keeping an open mind to an idea from a rookie officer is a step in the right direction when it comes to trying to understand how to have a better relationship between law enforcement and the people it polices.
"I think that is the most important thing as far as what our community needs from a police department," she said. "So willing to listen, willing to keep their minds open to new ideas."
Hamon said the goal of the program is to make citizens more comfortable with the police officers in Chattanooga. If even a small virtual ride-along and video chat makes some kind of connection, then the program is working.
The officers who will take part in the program will do so voluntarily.
For those interested in participating, send an email to the department's recruiting team cpdrecruiting@chattanooga.gov.
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.