RINCON — The Rincon Police Department has a new shoulder patch in keeping with the new logo the City of Rincon has adopted.
Lt. Jose Ramirez showed off the new patch and talked about how the department is growing to serve a larger population and is actively working to be more involved in community events and groups.
Ramirez said the department would love to have a presence at homeowners association picnics and other get-togethers.
“We were able to do that with Rincon Elementary,” he said. “We had two cars out there and took pictures with the kids.”
Ramirez said officers let the students get inside the patrol cars and turn the lights on. The children even got to have their pictures made wearing tactical vests.
The department is kicking community involvement up a notch and bringing back its Citizens Police Academy after a short hiatus. The academy is a 10-week course where citizens see what community policing involves and what the job of a police officer is about.
The academy will be advertised in January and should begin following participant background checks. Interested persons should contact the department.
Currently, the department is fully staffed, having grown from 11 officers in 2008 to 22. That includes three detectives and 2 K-9s who also visit community events. These dogs are highly trained and know their job, which is narcotics detection and criminal apprehension. The canines can also be used in locating lost citizens.
Even though the Rincon department is small, it is proud to be largely self-sufficient, having its own forensics, dispatch and three detectives with years of experience.
“We can do all of our investigations and not have to rely on somebody else,” Ramirez said.

See the May 23 edition of the Effingham Herald for more details.