Former Indio Police Chief recognized for commitment to evidence-based policing
Former Indio Police Chief Richard P. Twiss was inducted into the into the Hall of Fame for the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy in the Department of Criminology, Law, and Society at George Mason University.
Chief Twiss retired in August 2016 after serving more than 30 years as a peace officer.
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Chief Twiss helped develop the city of Indio’s Community Outreach Resource Program (CORP) which was one example of the successful use of evidenced-based practices to address homelessness.
“The value of evidence-based, data-driven policing to the Indio Police Department and our community cannot be understated,” Chief Twiss said. “It drove organizational change, enhanced cross-sector community relationships and the successful development and implementation of crime reduction tactics and strategies.”
In May 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services selected IPD to serve as a model for implementing the recommendations of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, primarily due to the success of CORP and engagement with youth in the community.
“I congratulate and applaud former Indio Police Chief Richard P. Twiss on this remarkable accomplishment,” Indio Mayor Elaine Holmes said. “His efforts, along with the work of current Police Chief Mike Washburn and the outstanding men and women of the IPD, were able to make Indio safer.”
Mayor Holmes continued, “In 2016, there was a 12% overall reduction in crime in Indio compared to the previous year and a 17% reduction from the five-year average. In comparison to other cities, we are one of the safest communities in the Coachella Valley based on crime data and statistics.”
The city of Indio and the IPD continue to conduct effective community outreach and engagement activities through such programs as Cops vs. Kids community basketball games and the Annual Turkey Bowl event with the Indio Teen Center. These meaningful programs help strengthen the trust and collaboration within the community.
