Milton and Mane

Bridging the Gap: Building Trust Through Real Connection.

• Steve Krokoff and Christy Weeks

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Welcome Back!

In this episode of Milton & Mane, we sit down with Officer Rebecca Tidwell to explore how community outreach continues to cultivate how Milton connects with its police department. From mentoring teens to equipping parents and empowering women, Tidwell shares how impactful face-to-face engagement is reshaping perceptions and building trust. 

Whether through a conversation over coffee or a hands-on academy experience, the Milton Police Department is showing up in meaningful ways—and residents are responding. 

Tune in to hear how these efforts are creating lasting bonds and safer streets, one connection at a time. 

Want to connect with Officer Tidwell?
Email her at: rebecca.tidwell@miltonga.gov

Learn more about all of the community programs HERE!

With the community in mind, this podcast explores the stories, people, and initiatives that make our community unique. Each episode offers insights into local government, highlights Milton's history and future developments, and showcases the vibrant arts, culture, and sustainability efforts shaping our city. Join the conversation, celebrate our community, and discover how we're building a better Milton together.

Do you have an idea for an episode or would like to request a specific topic to be covered? Email Christy Weeks, christy.weeks@miltonga.gov

Learn more about the City of Milton at www.miltonga.gov.

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Milton and Maine, the official podcast for the city of Milton. We want to bring you closer to the heart of our community through stories that inform, inspire and connect. Each episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the people, projects and priorities shaping Milton, covering everything from local government and future development to arts, culture, sustainability and public safety. Whether you're a resident, a local business owner or just curious about our city, this is your front row seat to what makes Milton special. Welcome back to Milton in Maine. I'm your host, christy Weeks, the communications manager for the city of Milton, and today we have a very special guest with us. Officer Rebecca Tidwell is Milton Police Department's Community Outreach Officer and she plays a vital role in keeping our city safe, informed and engaged. Officer Tidwell, welcome. Thank you so much for having me. You bet, before we dive into all the incredible community outreach programs you oversee, why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself, what led you to law enforcement, how you found your way into this role, how you found your way to Milton PD?

Speaker 2:

So before law enforcement, I was an EMT. I worked in middle Georgia for quite a while, and then I felt like it was time for a different direction, and so I made a move into law enforcement. In 2018, I joined the Milton Police Department and I've had the opportunity to serve in nearly every division uniform patrol, criminal investigations and now community outreach. When the community outreach position opened in May of 24, I had spent about three years mentoring in our police cadet program, and I grew to love working with the cadets and saw how impactful that kind of connection can be, which ultimately led me to applying for this role. I've always believed that the effect of policing goes beyond just responding to calls. It's about being present, listening and actually truly engaging with the people that we serve. So that mindset has shaped how I approach every part, especially with community outreach, where we continue to build trust and relationships in the heart of everything that we do.

Speaker 1:

Wow, what's your favorite out of all of the areas you've served in? Where's your heart in community outreach? Yeah, for sure, for sure. Yeah, I could see that I was there on one of your recent visits and it was pretty cool.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's always great to be able to interact.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it changes things, gives it some spice, as we're talking about community engagement and it's really such a big part of what you do. Let's talk about some of these programs that y'all offer. Could you walk us through a few of them and what their impact is?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so we have quite a few programs that we have for the police department. Some of the biggest ones are some of our public safety cadets. We also have RAD, which is a women's self-defense course. It's nationally recognized. Yeah, when's that one going to be? So we're going to hold that in June. It's a four-day course. It's from 5.30 to 8.30 every day. It empowers them and we teach them realistic, hands-on training that focuses on awareness, prevention and risk reduction.

Speaker 1:

That's awesome. In my imaginary life I'm a kickboxer. That's where I really think I should have been. I have taken classes because I think they're just hilariously fun. But I did take a self-defense class and I can tell you that I did not do well. When it came to the actual panic moment, when they pretend attacked me, I did not do well. Everything that I learned gone. Yeah, it just goes out the window. It did, it was. It was survival skills that actually did not work, so okay, so onward after rag.

Speaker 2:

What do we have? So we just actually got done with one of our bigger ones, citizens Police Academy. Right, this one's designed a little bit more for our adult community. It's a multi-week program. It gives participants an in-depth look at police operations, department structure and then some of the challenges that we face as officers. They get to go on ride-alongs, they do some scenario-based training, and the academy encourages open dialogue and strengthens the relationship between the department and the community.

Speaker 1:

Sure sure how many people attend that in general.

Speaker 2:

So typically we have around 20 participants. We try to max it at 25. Most years we actually have a waiting list of people who we invite to come back the next year just because we have so much interest in it.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. After your Citizens Police Academy, what do we have?

Speaker 2:

One that we haven't began, but I'm working on starting it this summer. It's a newer program. Some of the other departments around here kind of do it, but I found interest in it. So we're going to start a teen police academy. Yeah, so it's going to start in July, early July. It'll be like that first or second well, second week, because you know fourth of july of course and so it's a week-long summer program and it gives teens a behind-the-scenes look at law enforcement, kind of like citizens police academy, but it's a little bit more interactive. So they'll get a wide range of topics. We'll teach them some things about what we do on patrol. We'll have criminal investigations division come in. We'll teach them our use of force tactics and some of our policies. We have our simulator just at our Crabapple Training Center.

Speaker 2:

And so we'll run them through some of those, show them some of the 9-1-1 center, our dispatch and all that kind of stuff. We're hoping the program will foster leadership, good citizenship, and it will help build lasting trust between the youth and law enforcement. That's one of the things we see a lot of, so we're trying to build that gap.

Speaker 1:

Right right. I think that's important, and in introducing them at a younger age, I mean it could possibly feed into your cadet program.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, and that's one of the goals we're looking for.

Speaker 1:

So how old do you have to be to get into that program, the cadet program?

Speaker 2:

So cadets is 14 to 20. Okay, you have to have completed eighth grade. Okay, so the summer of your eighth grade year you can join as long as you're aged 14.

Speaker 1:

Wow, that's cool, and I'm going to have you talk a little bit about that because I think that's a terribly impactful program.

Speaker 2:

So for our public safety cadets program. It's a mentor-based program for young adults interested in careers in law enforcement or just public safety in general or government type stuff. As a cadet mentor I firsthand seen how this program helps develop leadership skills, discipline and then just kind of a sense of purpose among the individuals that we have. You'll see them come in and they're super shy, super quiet, barely participating, and then by the end of it they're completely out of their shell. They're taking leadership roles because we have a command structure in our cadet program as well, the same way we would in law enforcement.

Speaker 2:

And how long is that program? So the program is every week it's Wednesday 530 to 730. They can join at the age of 14. And when they age out at 20, they can stay in the whole time.

Speaker 1:

Seriously, because I've seen them at some of the events and stuff. They'll come and help, which is always amazing. I think they were just at the egg hunt, is that not correct?

Speaker 2:

yeah, so they were at the egg hunt. Uh, we do the state of the city, any major city event that we have, we have them out there helping out with us, like as a police department. They'll volunteer and sure they'll show up and give out some of our swag items that we have and things everybody loves swag from pd, absolutely you.

Speaker 1:

And fire pd and fire y'all, get all the love I mean we are the cool ones you are. You are. I'm like I need to move my office over there.

Speaker 2:

It's we got plenty of space.

Speaker 1:

You're going to look up one day and I'm going to be sitting right next to you what's going on, beck. So I do have a question Of all the cadets that have kind of gone through your program, how many of them have converted?

Speaker 2:

So, as of right now, I know of two. I'm still pretty new to the department 2018, only been here about six and a half years, but I know if that's funny. You say you're new. I mean I'm definitely not new compared to some of the people. So two of the ones that I've actually helped mentor I know that have actually moved into law enforcement.

Speaker 1:

That's awesome, so cool. So we got cadets.

Speaker 2:

What else we got Some of the other things that we'll do. We just individuals if they ever want to come up to the police department and do tours. We had a Girl Scout troop that came out and they wanted to do Valentine's Day cards for us. So I gave them a quick tour, answered all their questions, let them see a patrol car or things like that. We also do community safety events. So whether a school asks us Mill Springs Academy they're one of them we always do active shooter training for them for their summer camp that they do.

Speaker 1:

Joyful.

Speaker 2:

Souls. So we'll do things like that. Hoas will reach out to us. I did a couple of burglary presentations.

Speaker 1:

Solid information.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so we'll just go out and talk to them about burglaries or entering autos, how to protect your property and different safety tips on how to make their home safer.

Speaker 1:

Right, we ran a series on social at Christmas because a lot of those things that we talked about and we put out on PD's Facebook page make so much sense but most people don't think about them, like I didn't think about packing away all the boxes afterwards. Hello, that's like an advertisement for look what we just got. Yeah, absolutely Never occurred to me. It's like an advertisement for look what we just got. Yeah, absolutely never occurred to me.

Speaker 1:

It's like window shopping right right or to not put my christmas tree in front of the window. I thought that's what windows were for at christmas yeah, there's a huge tree there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely well. Where am I gonna put it inside the house? Oh?

Speaker 1:

man, as we're talking about all this stuff, I know we just recently had one that draws a lot of attention, that always goes over well, and that is Coffee with a Cop.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely. Coffee with a Cop is a great example of meaningful and community engagement. It's one of our most popular and impactful initiatives. It's creating a relaxing, welcoming environment where residents can meet officers face-to-face over a cup of coffee.

Speaker 1:

Right, instead of when you get pulled over and you're asking me for my license and insurance Right, absolutely, I'd rather have a cup of coffee with you. Exactly that's what I'm going to offer Next time I get pulled over. I'm going to go hey, can we just go have a cup of coffee and discuss this Right, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

There's no agenda, no speeches, it's just all real, personal conversations. These events strip away the uniforms and formality, allowing people to see us as fellow members of the community.

Speaker 1:

And I think that's important, because people have such a preconceived notion of what law enforcement is and who they are and, when you get down to it, humans.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely People. There are people behind the badges.

Speaker 1:

They are actually people, yeah, and I love that and building these types of relationships within a community of this size and this engagement, because our citizens are super involved.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

And I know they appreciate y'all. So to give them an opportunity to come and talk to you. I think that's amazing. Do we have another one coming up this year? Yeah, so our give them an opportunity to come and talk to you. I think that's amazing. Do we have another one coming up this year?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so our plan is to try to get one every quarter. Oh cool, so we've had one, the two quarters we've had so far, and so we'll have two more. Okay, I know the last one of the year or the first one of next year will be at Starbucks in Birmingham. Again, we don't have plans as far as where the next two will be for the year, though.

Speaker 1:

Okay, well, I'm going to have to keep that on my schedule, because last time I was relying on you for photos and they put you to work they did.

Speaker 2:

They sure did. You were officer barista. I was. Not all the drinks were right, but hey, I did my best. Okay, there's a reason I became a cop.

Speaker 1:

They all got some form of coffee, exactly Some form of coffee. I think that's just about as good as it gets. So with all these outreach programs, do you balance the regular responsibilities of an officer on top of that or in addition, or as substitute?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so my full-time role at the police department is community outreach, so I schedule, plan, make sure that every event is covered and I attend all of the events. I will substitute every now and then. We're all a team, so the biggest thing is to support the officers as much as possible if they're needed, but as far as my full-time job, it's all community outreach.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I love that, yeah, do you like that better?

Speaker 2:

yeah, it's nice you don't miss patrol sometimes there are some days I mean I think everybody will have their, their ups and downs of missing patrol, but it's, it's nice and climate controlled inside of climate controlled.

Speaker 1:

There we go. We were just talking about the weather. It's getting ready to get hot, so it it's getting ready to change some perspectives here.

Speaker 2:

A little sweaty.

Speaker 1:

All right. So I love to hear that our community is as responsive as it is, because if there's anybody out there that really can recognize people, I feel like it's PD. You all know so many people Like you go out, people are are hey, how are you? They'll actually come and talk to you, right, which I find absolutely amazing. So, from your perspective, what's been the most rewarding part of these outreach efforts?

Speaker 2:

So the most rewarding is probably just actually seeing those relationships form with the community. We're not just faces in uniforms, Like I mentioned earlier. We're mentors, supporters, neighbors. We're everybody within this community. Question answers right, Exactly, Therapists sometimes depending on who needs you know, sometimes some people just need to hear the right things, and we're there for them too.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, I mean, if you're going to ask questions, I prefer to ask somebody who would know.

Speaker 2:

Right, absolutely. Yeah, most of our officers are very knowledgeable and we train every day to make sure that we are up to date on the most recent things, so we know how to answer properly.

Speaker 1:

I love that. So have you? Have you actually seen a shift in how residents interact with y'all since this kind of massive push for community outreach? Since you've been in, have you seen that shift?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely. I've definitely noticed a shift Um, just how residents interacted with us. It's a growing sense of familiarity and approachability. Just like you already mentioned, people wave at us. As we're driving by, you're always seeing somebody wave at you. They'll stop and chat. If they see us anywhere, they'll always have a conversation with us. We were just in Zaxby's actually earlier while eating lunch, and somebody recognized us and came up and talked to us and was like hey, it was a FedEx guy who used to deliver for us at the old PD and he just, you know, wanted to have a conversation. So, and even people will just bring their kids by the police department and just want to say hello or see a car or something like that, so they're comfortable to come and actually talk to us and not be afraid of us and be standoffish.

Speaker 1:

Right, cause I I didn't grow up like that. I didn't grow up thinking I should walk into a police station and say hello, because I was taught that's not where you want to go. Absolutely Do not find yourself at the police station. It's usually not good, but the open doors that you all have and the availability and the access that you guys provide is pretty amazing.

Speaker 2:

So kudos to you guys for that amazing.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, kudos to you guys for that. So, as we're talking about this impact, I'd imagine that there's been a few moments that stand out, times that you have seen firsthand how these initiatives make a difference. What's your favorite?

Speaker 2:

One of the success stories that stands out to me involves two of our public safety cadets. They recently transitioned into a role that we have at our police department called public safety ambassadors. They both started in the program eager to learn but unsure of what their actual paths would be. They were kind of on the fence of if they would ever want to go into law enforcement. But through the time with us they gained hands-on experience. They built their confidence up. They were some of the ones that were the quieter and built themselves up.

Speaker 2:

And then they developed a strong sense of purpose. So now they're actually pursuing degrees in criminal justice with the hopes of actually pursuing careers in law enforcement. So it's a great example of how these programs can actually shape lives and actually lead into future careers.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. So how many PSAs do we have? So we have four currently. Yeah, is that? Is that a normal number that we keep, or does that kind of fluctuate with?

Speaker 2:

So we started out with two and then we actually progressed. I can't exactly remember the year, but we actually added two additional ones because the community saw how important they were and how valuable they were within the community.

Speaker 1:

Well, yeah, because if you think about it, we just put up a post about the spring break and the vacation request options and I bet they come in super handy because the PSAs are able to go and check on things when an officer can't make it over there. So you're kind of you've got a backup.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely, and they help officers be available for when calls come out or anything like that, so they can be ready for calls for service, whereas PSAs can kind of take off some of that workload from us on things that are easily managed.

Speaker 1:

Right on. So what else do they do aside from vacation? And I see them at the schools, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so we used to have a crossing guard position but we as a department decided that they would better transition. So we have our PSAs and they'll kind of rotate through. They'll do crossing guard duties, they'll assist PD with or officers. If we're out on an accident or any type of road closure, they can sit and direct traffic for us so that it doesn't tie up an additional unit. So again we can be out there answering calls and doing everything that we need to do. They'll walk the parks, all that kind of stuff, and if they see any type of suspicious activity or anything they may deem criminal activity, yeah, then they'll call an officer out there and they'll give us all the information and then we kind of take over from there. But they're vital resources for officers to have.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I love that. Wow, yeah, I see our guy down here right at the Milton High School.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, is he a shorter guy? Yeah, his name's Scott. He actually used to be a police officer.

Speaker 1:

I think I had a conversation with him. Yeah, he was a nice guy. Yeah, no, that's an amazing asset for y'all to be able to support you and keep the officers available. Right, absolutely, let's. Oh wait, there's a couple more programs we haven't talked about. So we've got the Alive at 25, because I just had Brian Dolan and Robin Pinto on and they talked about Alive at 25. What role does PD have in that?

Speaker 2:

So we as police officers actually I'm actually one of the instructors but we teach the kids. So, whether it's a court appointed request or a parent request several paths to the class, right? Yeah, absolutely, we're trained by the national safety council. We go through training and we become instructors through them. So we're nationally certified within that company. Um, and we go through and we teach them through them. So we're nationally certified within that company and we go through and we teach them how to be safe, responsible and respectful drivers. It's a four-hour course. It doesn't take up too much of their time, but at the end of the day, when they walk out of there, they have the resources to know how to handle any type of situation that they may encounter on the road.

Speaker 1:

And it's funny because I said this in the last episode with Brian and Robin At 16, and I think it's just because I'm getting old we're equipping these children with very large cars, vehicles, weapons.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Weapons 100%.

Speaker 1:

You want to call them and trusting that they know how to handle all those situations, even though they go through driver safety. My kids all did it. I outed my daughter in the last one. She's a terrible driver. Bless her. She is 25. We made it through a whole bunch of tickets and a few accidents. But you know, something like that is terribly useful because I don't think that initially, when they're going through it, they process everything that they should Correct. Yeah, and being forced or voluntold or voluntarily taking a course like this is amazing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's interesting to watch the kids when you're sitting there actually teaching them and talking about. We talk about distractions, so there's three types of visual, cognitive and manual, and it's kind of interesting to see their wheels turning in their head noticing. That's actually true, but they don't think about it when they're doing the actions of holding their phone or just simply turning up the radio or changing the AC in the car. Those are all some type of distraction that people just don't realize, but how?

Speaker 2:

are you supposed to do that when you're driving? I agree, I need some air sometimes. Absolutely, but they think about it a little bit more and it just puts it in the back of their minds. So they're prepared for that. It's like, okay, well, it's a little hot, but I know there's a red light coming up here, so once I'm stopped I'll change the air. Things like that. It just makes them think through a little bit more.

Speaker 1:

And Siri does help us a little bit. True, I'm getting used to voice because I got outed on one of the podcasts for maybe using it to manipulate my music.

Speaker 2:

I mean, music is important, it totally is. But vlogs are important as well. I get it?

Speaker 1:

No, I can appreciate all that, and there's a $50 cost with Alive at 25. Is that correct? Correct? Yeah, okay, there is a $50. Just wanted to make sure that was out there Because, if you have an opportunity, because these classes happen on the regular- yeah, we have three classes a month. I think that's awesome and encourage parents to put their kids in a class like this. An additional class, Four hours is nothing Right, absolutely. For a little extra peace of mind, a little extra safety.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I mean it gives the parents a discount too on their insurance.

Speaker 1:

So Lord knows, we all need that Exactly. I'm getting ready to bounce my kids right off. I'm tired of paying their insurance, so the other one that we have is the car seat check.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely, having three kids, I can assure you that I probably didn't strap them all in properly at any given point.

Speaker 1:

Well, I mean, times were different back then. Oh wait a minute. You mean back in the 1900s?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I was just an infant then, so it was my kid.

Speaker 1:

Wow Out in Christy Day? Wow. So can people just roll in, or do they need to schedule a time for that? And what goes down with the car seat check?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so we do offer it. I know the fire department has a walk-in. Normally it's the child passenger safety program, and so it's listed on their website. Any available department, whether it's a fire department or police department, it'll be listed on there, and some, depending on what you are, they'll need a request for an appointment.

Speaker 1:

Okay perfect.

Speaker 2:

So I know the fire department. A lot of times people will just pull up, they'll go into the main office and they can actually request that a car seat be installed for them. A lot of times people will come by the PD and we're more than willing to help them install it. But basically we'll we'll teach them how to properly do it. So we'll kind of show them, walk them through it, teach individuals how to install it, just in case for some reason they have to take their car seat out. I know a lot of times they use the same base for multiple cars, so we'll teach them how to do it.

Speaker 1:

And then, where you're traveling, and you've got a rental car, you're in grandma's car, whatever it is. I mean it's important, because just the slightest mistake on that can be devastating. Absolutely yeah, and it's important to put their shoulder straps on too, or they roll out of it.

Speaker 2:

That's good to know.

Speaker 1:

Parenting advice from Christy. Anyway, as we're talking about all these programs, right and and the availability and access that PD has for those who are listening and want to get involved in anything, what are their options? What programs? How can we engage our residents?

Speaker 2:

so the best way for anybody that wants to get involved to figure out what events we have coming up we're always posting them on social media so facebook, instagram, things like that, or if they just have interest in learning things that maybe have already happened or maybe coming out later in the year, they can always go to the city website, the police department page, and we have our community events or our community outreach section and it gives them an entire list and run through with basic information of what all of our courses or classes, or just any events that we hold, we'll teach them or just any general information that they're looking for.

Speaker 1:

And I'll put all that in the show notes so it's easily accessible for everybody. And is there an email of some sort where, if somebody had a question that's not an emergency style, that doesn't deserve a 911, but just a random question, is there an access point for them?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely. They're more than welcome to email me. We have a department org box that we use, but they forward them to me so if they just email me directly they'll get a quicker response.

Speaker 1:

I'll put your email in there and for business and organizations that may want to collaborate or want one of your presentations to their residents, whether it's a hosting event or supporting an initiative, what's the best way for them to reach out? Same email? Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

Just straight to you. Yeah, we love our community and, like our, our local organization schools, anything like that. If they're ever needing any type of resources from us absolutely they're more than welcome to reach out to me Cool.

Speaker 1:

I'll put that in there. We've had a great conversation, we've covered a lot of information, but is there anything else that you want to throw in before?

Speaker 2:

we head out. Yeah, so I just want to thank the Milton community for being as supportive and engaged as they are. Our outreach efforts wouldn't be possible without the partnerships that we have with the people within our community. True, and it truly takes a village to create a safe, connected and thriving community, and my message to everyone is simple Don't hesitate to reach out, ask questions and get involved. We are all here for you.

Speaker 1:

Oh, yeah, I love that. So one thing that I do know that's coming up that I want to kind of push on this podcast because I think it's cool. Uh, chilling with the chiefs is coming up for Georgia city's week. Oh, wow, that's awesome. April 25th, chilling with the chiefs at the cocoa bowls over off highway nine. So all that information will get pushed out in the next week or so, I would imagine. Stay tuned. It'll be on PD's page, it'll be on the city webpage. So I want to make sure we get as many people in for that, because that will be Chief Griffin and Chief Ben Moussa. Both fire and PD will be there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely, and they're great resources as well, very knowledgeable.

Speaker 1:

They are. I've asked a lot of stupid questions and they tolerate me, so there's that.

Speaker 2:

There's no stupid question. The only stupid question is the one not asked.

Speaker 1:

Oh, you just made me feel so much better. Officer Tidwell, thank you again for joining us today and for everything you do for our community. You're much appreciated and you are welcome back here anytime. So if there's a hot topic or a message you want to get out, reach out. We'll do a podcast and you'll. You're going to be back, I you're being voluntold.

Speaker 2:

Ah, perfect. Well, thanks for having me. I'll come back anytime.

Speaker 1:

And thank you to everybody for listening. If you found today's conversation helpful, be sure to subscribe and share it with your friends and neighbors. You can also follow the Milton Police Department on Facebook to stay updated on upcoming events and programs. And until next time, stay safe and take care. Thanks for listening to Milton in Maine. We hope this episode gave you fresh insights into what makes our city so special. Stay connected and don't miss an episode by subscribing to this podcast on your favorite platform and following us on social media for all updates. And, of course, if you want to learn more about the city, visit us online at wwwmiltongagov for resources, news and upcoming events. Until next time, thanks for being part of the conversation and we'll see you on the next. Milton and Maine.