GRIMES COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) —
Grimes County residents are joining forces with local law enforcement through a newly formed community advisory committee designed to open a two-way line of communication between the sheriff's office and the people it serves.
Grimes County Chief Deputy Martha Smith said she got the idea for the committee from a procedural justice class and decided to move forward with it.
"Now these citizens are able to communicate. It's a two-way communication for us. Now we get feedback, honest feedback. That's what we need. We need honest feedback from citizens that we serve here in Grimes County," Smith said.
The committee has already held its first meeting, and members say they were encouraged by what they experienced.
Committee member Shawn Pulkkinen said he joined because of how central the sheriff's office is to life in a small town.
"That's part of a small town, a big part of it is the sheriff's office, so I just wanted to get involved, and this was an opportunity," Pulkkinen said.
Pulkkinen said the meeting left him with a positive impression of the department's intentions.
"The best thing I saw was that they really want to hear from the community, so, and the citizens like us that are on the board and see any concerns that we have and actually address them. It, it was refreshing to see that," Pulkkinen said.
He also came away with a new understanding of the staffing challenges facing the agency.
"They're competing against other counties like Brazos and Harris that pay a lot more. So you get a lot of small hometown boys that and, and women that really just want to serve their community, and that was kind of a good epiphany to see," Pulkkinen said.
Fellow committee member Tammi Hughey said the initiative fills a long-standing need in the county.
"It's really to help develop that sense of community, and it's something that we've needed for a long time," Hughey said.
Local resident Burt Bearden said he supports the effort and believes it will strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the public.
"When you have a, a law enforcement agency reaching out to the community and they're seeking input and advice. And, you know, basically proving they're real people, they're relatable. I think you get more community buy-in in their effort. And so, I mean, I love the idea. I'm, I'm completely in favor of it," Bearden said.
Smith said the sheriff's office plans to share the names of committee members on social media soon and encourages residents to reach out to them with feedback.
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