Chief Hill then reported on the following.

Crisis Now and a 988 Hotline are two new resources that are available in the community. Undiagnosed and untreated mental illness is a huge concern not just for our region, but for the nation. It can lead to many other issues such as drug abuse; domestic violence; suicide or attempted suicide and criminal activity. Crisis Now is a 24/7 local call center designed to help anyone in the community who is experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis. The call center launched this year and provides immediate services to anyone in need and if deemed appropriate, Crisis Now has the ability to dispatch a mobile response team with a licensed clinician to assist any person in need. The 988 Hotline was established by the Federal Trade Commission as the new nationwide three digit phone number for Americans in crisis to connect with suicide prevention and mental health crisis counselors. It works like 9-1-1, acting as a quick dial to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

Captain Mike Jones retired after 23 years of service. Captain Jones was an Oakwood resident for 47 years. He had an incredible career and is transitioning well into retirement. Dispatcher Leslie Zengel retired after 10 years of service. She had previously retired in 2011 after serving 28 years as a Public Safety Officer. She was the first certified female public safety officer in the state of Ohio. Dispatcher Randi Clark was hired on June 2022. She has 10 years of public safety dispatching experience.

At the end of May, the Oakwood Public Safety Department responded to Wright Library for an individual who was printing off pornographic images using the library computers. The man confessed and was indicted on 30 counts of possession and production of child pornography. He was subsequently indicted on 120 additional counts of felony child pornography production and felony possession of child pornography. His case is currently pending in Montgomery County Courts. These cases are very difficult to work on due to the nature of the crime. Chief Hill thanked the officers who worked on this case.

In May 2016, the state of Ohio implemented 19 standards for all Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP). All dispatch centers were required to achieve compliance within two years from the date of adoption. Some standards were put into place to challenge viability of individual dispatch centers and to promote regional dispatch centers. Montgomery County PSAP’s are audited for compliance and Oakwood continues to be in full compliance with the standards required for operating a PSAP.

The low number of use of force incidents in Oakwood is a testament to the professionalism and de-escalation skills of Oakwood’s Public Safety Officers patrolling streets every day. There have been four incidents where use of force was required, compared to six incidents in 2016.

In June 2021, the Oakwood Public Safety Department implemented in-car camera systems with fully integrated body cameras. The cameras have proven to be a valuable asset to the Public Safety Department and to the City.

The city of Oakwood uses the CodeRED emergency notification system to notify residents and those who work in Oakwood of emergency incidents and critical community alerts. Oakwood residents also have the opportunity to opt-in to receive automated severe weather alerts via a cell phone. The opt-in service will automatically send notifications of tornado, flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings just moments after an alert has been issued by The National Weather Service (NWS) allowing residents to take immediate action. The City’s website has a link where residents can register to receive emergency notifications through CodeRED.

Last summer, the Oakwood Public Safety Department implemented the “Good Choice Ticket” program. The program is designed to recognize Oakwood’s youth for making good choices such as using a crosswalk, wearing a bicycle helmet, or looking both ways before crossing the street. This is a good way for the officers to interact and acknowledge youths for making good choices.

Several officers are certified and assigned to bike patrol, which allows for specialized crime prevention efforts and provides a unique opportunity to interact with the community. It is a very productive tool because: bike patrols result in more than twice as many contacts with the public than vehicle patrols; perpetrators often don’t notice bike patrols; and bike patrols can go where traditional patrol vehicles cannot.