To continue their efforts to keep local Turlock residents safe, the Turlock Associated Police Officers (TAPO) organization is launching their “Summer of Safety” campaign.
The safety social media campaign, which will share information sheets, tips, and recommendations, will launch on July 4 and will continue through Labor Day. TAPO’s 64 officers are leading this campaign on their off-duty time because of their increasing awareness of the opportunity to help Turlock residents know that there are resources available to them.
“Our TAPO officers are dedicated to serving Turlock and committed to helping make the community a safe place to live,” said Sgt. Russell Holeman, President of TAPO and a 15-year veteran of the Turlock Police Department. “We think one of the best ways we can do that is by providing resources to the community we serve. We are taking personal time to develop and disseminate safety worksheets.”
The first round of “Summer of Safety” materials that TAPO will release includes tips and recommendations on:
- Keeping kids safe in the water
- Bike riding tips for kids
- And preventing and reporting drunk driving
TAPO chose these safety concerns because annually approximately 1,000 children die from drowning in the United States, there are 26,000 bicycle-related traumatic brain injuries to children and adolescents, and 10,322 people die in drunk driving collisions each year.
“Turlock has a growing population and lots of new residents,” said Holeman. “Even though we are a small force and cutbacks have left us understaffed, we want to do everything possible to show the community that we support them and to introduce ourselves to new residents. We know that a strong safe community will lead to a strong police force.”
To download free copies of the “Summer of Safety” information sheets, visit http://turlockpolice.org/.
To view the social media campaign, visit the TAPO Facebook page.