In-Depth: Role of community engagement officers

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — Rochester’s new deputy chief of community engagement will likely work very closely with groups like Roc the Peace.

Mayor Evans announced today that he tapped Keith Stith for that role. Stith is the former New Jersey Chief of Detectives of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. The mayor noted Stith has an acclaimed record for solving homicide cases—something that takes witness cooperation and earned trust.

Let’s go In-Depth now on the role of the community engagement officer:

• they work closely with community groups—clergy and neighborhood watch programs.
• they conduct crime prevention and awareness training.
• they work with youth groups like dare and boys and girls clubs.
• they strengthen ties between the police and neighborhood groups.

The mayor pointed out that the position of deputy chief of community engagement has been vacant for a very long time but Stith will now be the point man in the mayor’s re-imagined community-focused policing strategies.