Starting today, June 19, and continuing over the next several weeks, the Clermont Police Department & Flippers Pizza Restaurant will be conducting Hero Deliveries throughout the city. Hero Deliveries is an idea inspired by the Clermont Police Department’s Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving Unit (COPPS). This initiative was met with such great success last year that the department wanted to continue the program this year.
The mission of the program is to encourage the concept that “Families that eat together stay together.” The initiative was introduced by Clermont Police Department’s crime prevention officers.
“Sharing time together as a family is proven to be one of the most valuable crime-prevention methods,” said Officer David Colon, of the COPPS unit. “We will visit households every other week for the next few months in an effort to spread crime-prevention tips and a positive outlook on life. With our visit, the families will be able to see a couple of police officers come to their door, and after a short greeting, hand them a crime-prevention flyer, and wish them a good dinner as a family, compliments of Flippers Pizza and the Clermont Police Department.”
The implementation for Hero Deliveries stems directly from 21st-century policing concepts that were outlined in previous presidential task force recommendations. Some of the recommendations focus on communication and transparency through non-enforcement activities.
“When cops show up at your door, it’s usually to assist in emergency situations,” said Chief Charles Broadway, who will be one of those delivering pizza. “This program builds trust and legitimacy between policers officers and the people they serve, only this time they are serving in another way. We hope to continue to help facilitate communication and relationships with our residents by breaking down the traditional barriers that so often exist between police officers and the citizens that we serve,” Broadway added.
