Open communication and genuine relationships formed with the community are important to Vicksburg and Warren County law enforcement officers.

Vicksburg police Chief Walter Armstrong said it is one of his top priorities to have officers integrate into the community they protect by becoming involved in local organizations, and by giving back to the community through activities like a mentoring program or a monthly lunch the department sponsors at the senior center and an elementary school.

“We get out and we get to know the community,” he said.

Armstrong tells his officers their job consists of more than writing tickets or making arrests. He wants officers to have a connection with citizens so people know officers well enough to call on them at the department when necessary.

“We have worked extremely hard building a relationship with the people of this community,” he said.

The police force is diverse, Armstrong said, much like the population of Vicksburg with different genders and races.

“If we are going to continue to have a safe community it is going to take all of us working together,” he said.

While officers’ relationships within the community have been positive, he is still working to make things continually better. To engage the community, Armstrong often participates in speaking engagements at area churches and organizations as a way to reach the public.

“We have to rely on the citizens and the citizens have to trust us,” he said. “It’s a work in progress.”

Communication is very important when it comes to law enforcement, Sheriff Martin Pace said. Like Armstrong, he doesn’t think the only interaction between citizens and law enforcement should be when a person is pulled over during a traffic stop or is in need of help.

“You have to have preexisting relationships with the community and that means never lose sight of the fact that we are servants of this community,” he said.

Pace often reminds his deputies that they are public servants and work for everyone they meet on a given day, and he encourages the constant revaluation of policies and procedures in the department to make it the best it can be.

“What can we do tomorrow that is better than what we did today,” Pace said is one of the main things he asks his officers to think about regularly.

While he knows no relationship is perfect, he strives for his deputies to help cultivate a supportive environment within the community, and there is a standard of behavior he expects from them at all times.

“I expect my deputies to always present themselves professionally and courteously with the thought in mind that they are here to help this community,” Pace said. “We are first and foremost peace officers.”