FERGUSON, Mo. — The Ferguson Police Department on Thursday announced a new policing plan that aims to improve community relationships.

Police Chief Troy Doyle says it’s based on a simple philosophy, helping law enforcement and citizens work together. He says residents informed the plan to capture the “essence of what police-community partnerships should look like in Ferguson.”

“These are acts and steps that are created to make real change in our city,” Doyle said. “These are nothing innovative…But what's unique about this particular plan is that it's unique for us, because we have gone too long without having a strategic approach to dealing with crime in our community.”

He says proactive policing is at the heart of the plan. The department looks to encourage positive interactions in order to stop crime before it happens. The new Safe Streets Coalition, to be established by late 2025, will assign officers and community representatives in each ward. Another new requirement will place officers at regular neighborhood meetings to share crime statistics and receive feedback. 

“It has measurable outcomes… community organizations will be able to gauge whether or not we're hitting our mark,” said Patricia Washington, public information officer. “It was truly important, as we built this plan… that we could routinely hear from service providers in the Ferguson area.”

The department will establish the Community Engagement Council, which will meet quarterly. The plan outlines a new youth program, training on neighborhood de-escalation and communication.

“We will be working in communities… that may not have had the best relationship with the Ferguson Police Department,” Washington said. “The only time they interact with our police department is when they are in crisis, or there is a negative situation. So what we want to do is make sure that we do some positive things in those communities.”

Washington says much of the community lost trust in the department in 2014, when 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed by a Ferguson police officer. The Ferguson Police Department faced national criticism, agreeing to reform policing through a consent decree in 2016.

The police department says the new plan will fix those federally-recognized areas of weaknesses identified in the consent decree. It involves random community surveys, more transparent crime reporting, increased staff and new technology, including drones and license plate readers. 

“We have in command staff meetings every other week. We are tracking the crime trends and we're going to use that information to put our cops in those particular locations,” Doyle said. “In short… We're looking for transparency, accountability and community engagement. This is not policing the community. It’s really about policing with the community.”

Residents can read the plan here and see a summary here. The police department will share information about new police technology at a public meeting next week. Details will be announced here.