Law enforcement is a necessary part of society, a part in which many individuals have no or brief interaction during their lives. The Saginaw Police Department believes that its part in society should encompass more than to “protect and serve,” but to also provide support for victims, to develop community programming activities, and to engage in local events
We aim to continually push the idea of law enforcement progressively forward.
After a hard look inward several years back, the Saginaw Police reflected upon their current status and made the earnest decision to do more for their community. A culture shift was about to take place, and the Saginaw Police Department was going to place an emphasis on community-oriented policing and victim-centered strategies, department-wide.
What does that even mean? It means being the first law enforcement agency in the Great Lakes Bay Region to develop an internal Victim Services Unit. It means partnering with community agencies to develop new programming, and enhancing the type of training officers receive. The department has adjusted the ways in which residents may access and receive information.
But what makes the Saginaw Police Department more than just a law enforcement agency?
- In 2016 the Saginaw Police developed and implemented the first Victim Services Unit in the Great Lakes Bay Region, and one of the few in the entire state. We have expanded into a Division that has continued to enhance services to victims of crime and will continue to do so indefinitely, having provided assistance to more than 6,250 victims and loved ones.
- A strong emphasis has been placed on collaboration and partnership efforts. Over the years, our department has developed programming with several agencies. These include the CAN Council, Child and Family Services, Families Against Narcotics, and Community Mental Health, just to name a few.
- SPD saw the need to provide other reporting options than only calling 911. Citizens are able to file a report at the front desk of the police department, Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or an incident report online anytime on the city’s website, saginaw-mi.com.
- Community engagement is at the forefront of several of the department’s strategies. now and moving forward. Enhancing trust, being transparent, getting involved with neighbors, and experiencing positive interactions with the citizens, is what will make the SPD a resilient police department.
We are more than only a law enforcement agency. Of course, enforcing laws and protecting the community is still a core aspect for the agency. This is enhanced daily, but the department has grown into much more than that. It is now a hub for information, resources, services, collaboration, victim-centered strategies, and overall general outreach.
We are an agency looking to remain at the forefront of the law enforcement movement.
Robert Ruth, Saginaw-born and raised, is entering his eighth year as Saginaw police chief. He began as a patrol officer in 1994 and gained experience through the ranks during his first two decades.
