Crime is bad for everyone
High crime rates have devastating impacts on communities. Victims and their families suffer. Property owners suffer. Taxpayers suffer. The Center for American Progress reports that violent crime, including murder, rape, assault, and robbery, cost the United States over $42 billion in 2010, including the expense of law enforcement, courts, correctional institutions, medical expenses, and lost earnings. When crimes are abundant, stakeholders decrease their investment levels, and property values plummet, choking off economic growth.
Even in the City of Boston, where rates of property crime and violent crime fall well below the national average, further reducing lawbreaking can have a significant impact. A study by the Center for American Progress states that a 10 percent reduction in Boston crime alone could save $5 million per year, lowering government costs by more than $145 annually, per resident.
A 25 percent decrease in crime could save Boston over 12 million annually, reducing government costs by at least $360 per resident—a savings that could provide community development and housing with a 14.4 percent boost.
Why Mansfield chooses community policing
Community policing, defined by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) as a strategy to empower officers to proactively recognize and resolve issues, encourages a deep-rooted relationship between officers and town residents, nurturing trust and communication that blossoms into respect and helps to cull out crime. Community policing encourages officers to prevent future misconduct by defining issues within the municipality and helping to expose the core problem through collaboration with local resources, like the educational system, town government, social services, and more.
The Mansfield Police Department (MPD) relies on human connections to ensure residents, and businesses and their employees, can live and work in a safe, productive environment. Our officers are constantly out in the community, helping their neighbors, observing, and listening.
Canine connections also help to make community interactions and outreach a more positive experience. Labrador Retriever Bentley joined the department in Spring 2019 after completing over 12 months of training with NEADS World Class Service Dogs and his partner, School Resource Officer Detective Ken Wright. Bentley and Officer Wright work together to open the lines of communication with students, provide an opportunity for stress-relief, and foster positive interactions. Mansfield also added German Shepherd K9 Ronan to the force in 2020 after completing crime and evidence search training with MPD Officer Michael Fitzgerald at the Boston Police K9 academy.
Together, the department works tirelessly to prevent crimes before they can materialize, and their efforts are reflected through recent recognition, safety rankings, and community connections:
- According to Neighborhood Scout, the chances of becoming a violent crime victim is 1 in 305 in Massachusetts, a statistic that drops to 1 in 376 in the town of Mansfield.
- LendEDU ranks The Town of Mansfield among the safest cities and towns in the country, according to FBI crime data analysis.
- The National Council for Home Safety and Security ranks Mansfield one of the Safest Cities in Massachusetts.
- The Mansfield Police Department received the 2019 Leadership in Community Police Award presented by the IACP, which recognized the town’s commitment to problem-orientated policing.
- MPD officers participated in American Sign Language (ASL) training, initiated by Mansfield resident and Southeastern Regional Vocational High School graduate Catherine Fitzgerald, who earned a 2019 Oticon Focus on the People Award for her efforts to make a difference within the hearing impaired community.
Because of the Mansfield Police Department’s community policing efforts, Mansfield remains one of the safest places to live and work, attracting a strong sense of community for its residents and businesses alike. Thank you to our law enforcement officers for keeping our community an enjoyable place to live and work!