EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) -Emily Earhart is the Evansville Police Department’s new Community Engagement Coordinator.

After assisting with EPD records for six years, she now uses her skills in the Office of Crime Prevention and interacts with the community.

“I never really wanted to be a cop, so this was a way for me to still be in the police department and work with the community and be involved without having to be an officer,” Earhart says.

Earhart’s duties consist of assisting the crime prevention office, assisting with statistics, abandoned vehicle issues and community concerns.

“My job that I help with is filtering incoming calls to make sure they get to the right CPO, making sure the CPOs are aware that it’s happening and kind of being the middle person, but also making sure that the connections between the officer and the community are still there,” Earhart says.

Earhart has a master’s degree in criminal justice and is excited to help build positive connections within the community by letting people know the person behind the badge.

“Sometimes people are afraid to call the police or they don’t know the right person to call within the department,” Earhart says, “so they can always call my line and if it’s not something I’m directly involved with, I’ll refer you to the right person. That’s why I’m excited about ways to make a difference in my department.” I think one of them is to establish those connections and maintain an open line of communication between the community and the police.

The goal is to help EPD build connections with the community and address concerns about the crime prevention office.

Earhart started her new position in September.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Go to Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW) for the latest news, weather, sports and streaming video.