Ferris finds ‘Unity in the Community’

FERRIS – If there is unity in the community then that’s a lot.

Ferris Police Chief Eddie Salazar knows the importance of community policing as do the personnel working under him at the police department.

While the program has been going on since earlier this year, Salazar said last week “it is starting to pay off, we are seeing results.”

At a Unity in the Community/community policing group meeting last week a school official identified a family in need for the holidays and the group instantly set out to help in whatever way it could.

There was also a call to help an elderly couple with a roof problem, that was also taken care of in short order.

“Unity in the Community is a great resource,” Salazar said.

Salazar came up with the idea for Unity in the Community when he said “it came to me community policing is more than what law enforcement can handle. We can’t fix all the problems in the community, but the entire community can.”

Unity in the Community is a program that was designed overall to promote cooperation, tolerance, peace and a better standard of living within the community. Not only in Ferris, but in communities throughout the area and even the state.

In a news release about Unity in the Community it said “The Ferris Police Department works hard to maintain the trust of the community.

“We do this every day and their trust is not taken lightly.”

A key idea for success within the group is involvement in order for the power of working together to be experienced for the common good of each member in the community.

“Ferris is growing, and we need to be ready,” Salazar said.

Unity in the Community will soon be filing for 501c (3) status.

Last week board members were elected in a meeting that saw more than two dozen in attendance.

Attendees and those part of the unity in the community effort include city and ISD staff, chamber of commerce members as well as city council members and those from the police department.

Local citizens are also encouraged to get involved.

Readers can follow Ferris’ Unity in the Community initiative on Facebook for more information.