"These platforms (such as Zoom, FaceTime and Google Hangouts, to name a few) are available, and they allow people to join from wherever and whenever they can so they don't have to rush home from work or take time to do personal business on the job."ĭlugitch, the community relations liaison for the north Tustin area, and her partner, Police Services Officer Zhanna Ismailova, representing the south neighborhoods, created a live Zoom presentation that includes reports from the patrol, traffic, gang suppression and community relations teams.Ī presentation by the Tustin Police Department provides important information to neighborhood watch groups in the city during the pandemic.
"We wanted to still engage with the community and virtual programming wasn't something we were using," said Police Services Officer Jennifer Dlugitch. Traditionally, neighborhood watch groups in Tustin would hold occasional meetings in driveways, cul-de-sacs, or community rooms with representatives from the police department informing residents about crime and other issues such as graffiti, homelessness, traffic and parking.īecause the pandemic makes face-to-face meetings practically impossible, the department’s Community Relations division has been utilizing Zoom videoconferencing technology to host virtual meetings and is increasing its social media outreach through apps like Nextdoor, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to keep the lines of communication open. Police Services Officer Zhanna Ismailova represents the south neighborhoods of Tustin.