The 12 new police recruits who were assigned to the Area C-11 police district earlier this month are walking the beat in the afternoons and evenings in select sections of Dorchester as part of their on-the-job training.

With the recruits receiving their badges in a ceremony on Nov. 1. Commissioner Michael Cox introduced them to Community Interaction Teams, which will help newly sworn-in officers get acclimated to the district.

C-11 Sgt. Tim Golden presented the idea to the community at several civic meetings over the last few weeks and discussed it extensively on Nov. 6 at the Codman Square Neighborhood Council (CSNC).

C-11 Sgt. Shawn Harris – formerly a community service officer at neighboring B-3 – told the crowd that he’s in charge of leading the new Community Interaction Team. Last week, the effort began with walking beats six at a time with him on the 4 p.m. to midnight shift.

Their first walks were in the Bowdoin-Geneva area, where they focused on quality-of-life issues. The plan is for them to walk several other beats in the district, including Codman Square.

“We want these officers to start their careers embedded in the fabric of the community right away,” Harris said. “No problem is too small.”
Councillor Brian Worrell had called for more walking beats in the villages of C-11 and B-3 last summer following a spate of violent incidents in the Erie-Ellington and Four Corners sections of Dorchester.

“This is a good step forward in connecting our newest officers to the residents they’re serving,” said Worrell. Community policing is driven in part by the community, and this doubles down on what has been successful across the city. I’m hopeful this will help our residents, business patrons, and workers build a deeper relationship with our police officers.”