Community Services & School Resource Officer
Community Services
The McAlester Police Department offers several crime prevention and safety programs for citizens through its Community Services office. There are no costs for the programs.
Programs include the MPD Fraud & Scam Prevention Program; McAlester Safe Neighborhoods Program (which includes Neighborhood Watch); Teaching, Educating And Mentoring (TEAM); and Crime-free Multi-unit Housing. Additionally, the Community Services office distributes Child Identification kits, participates in local fairs and community events, and offers free presentations about crime prevention and highway safety.
Master Patrolman Jeremy Busby has been the MPD Community Services Officer since February 2014. A veteran of MPD since 1995, he is also a certified firearms instructor for MPD, and has completed more than 1,000 hours of training in addition to his police certification. Contact him at MPD at 918-423-9657 or by email at jeremy.busby@cityofmcalester.com to request information or materials about any Community Services Program.
Child Identification Kits
Child Identification Kits are distributed by the MPD Community Services office with sponsorship from Aaron’s and Briggs Printing to help parents and guardians record a child’s personal information, including fingerprints and dental records
Cops for Kids Program
The Cops for Kids Program is sponsored by the local Literacy Council to promote literacy and to help children involved in traumatic incidents. The Council collects and donates Teddy bears used by MPD officers to offer to children in distress. The program also offers information and education at community events.
Crime-free Multi-unit Housing Program
The Crime-free Multi-unit Housing Program is designed to reduce crime in apartment complexes and other densely-populated housing. The program has been proven to reduce crime by 60 to 90 percent in areas where it has been implemented.
Fraud & Scam Prevention Program
The MPD Fraud & Scam Prevention Program offers materials and professional assistance to groups and individuals to help them avoid becoming targets and victims of fraud and scam schemes. The program covers areas such as counterfeit prescription drugs, identify theft and telemarketing scams, and is based on the fact that financial scams targeting consumers have become so prevalent they are considered “the crime of the 21st century.”
McAlester Safe Neighborhoods Program
The McAlester Safe Neighborhoods Program offers materials, professional assistance and resources to improve safety throughout McAlester. Under McAlester Safe Neighborhoods, police help establish certified Neighborhood Watch programs, register personal storm shelters, and offer mass notifications by phone.
Neighborhood Watch promotes safety at the neighborhood level through community unity and organization. A certified Neighborhood Watch community involves residents from an area of up to four blocks who work together for a neighborhood’s safety.
Storm Shelter Registration is a voluntary service with the Pittsburg County Emergency Management’s Severe Weather Shelter Registration Program. Residents who own a personal severe weather shelter may register their information to help rescuers should the shelter become blocked during a storm by debris or structural damage.
Blackboard Connect is a mass notification system that allows the city to contact registered residents and businesses in the community within minutes in the event of an emergency. The system also allows the city to notify residents of important matters, such as outages and events.
TEAM
Teaching, Educating And Mentoring (TEAM) is a school liaison program developed in Michigan by police and teachers to promote safety among students of all ages. In Oklahoma, certification and training for TEAM is offered through the Norman Police Department, and the program has been specialized for McAlester students as identified by McAlester teachers and principals, and by MPD. The program is also available for non-McAlester Public School students.
Under TEAM, students in grades K-12 learn about everything from the reasons for laws, to gun safety, dating violence and computer safety. Social media safety is also covered.
The curriculum is offered in sessions of 30-45 minutes each for 7-11 weeks, depending on the age group.
The TEAM philosophy is that while working together as a team, educators, students and law enforcement create relationships and become united in protecting children from becoming victims of crime.