AUSTIN, Texas -- In an effort to build trust in the community, Austin police officers are hitting the streets to meet with the people of Austin.

  • Austin police officers participate in "Operation Blue Wave"
  • Officers go door-to-door to meet community members
  • Program hopes to build trust with Austin residents

It's part of the "Operation Blue Wave Initiative" which started in January.

Uniformed officers to knock on doors and introduce themselves to neighbors in an effort to build community bonds.

On Monday, officers were joined by African American leaders as part of their weekly cop walk.

“If you’re treating people right, guess what? They’ll be on your team,” Nelson Linder of Austin's NAACP said. “We have challenges and we need to address those fairly and honestly and make things better. That’s really what this is all about.” ​

Part of the initiative also involves reaching out to homeless communities to let them know about resources available to them.