By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green Police Division tracks a lot of stats. The number of domestic violence reports. The frequency of OVI arrests. The hits on license plate readers from stolen vehicles.
Last year, the division started collecting new numbers. Hoops shot at City Park. Strolls through the Farmers Market. Stops at ice cream spots. Cheers at softball games.
That renewed emphasis on community engagement resulted in nearly 700 occasions when officers self-initiated positive interaction with the community, according to Police Chief Justin White.
“That’s a fancy way of saying – get out in the public,” White said last week after presenting a report on his first year as police chief.
When White became chief in May of 2025, he announced his plans to encourage officers to get out of their vehicles and engage with Bowling Green citizens.
“I want them to understand the importance of them being out in the community – especially with our youth,” he said.
“I want them to meet people where they’re at,” White said. “It allows kids to see us, not just the uniform.”
And it’s easier for adults to approach officers when they aren’t behind the wheel of their police cruisers.
“It doesn’t have to be a huge thing,” maybe just shooting a few baskets with kids at City Park, White said. Or “just hanging out with kids” while they sit outside devouring ice cream treats.
White believes in community policing – with officers being involved in the city and citizens being involved in decision making.
“It’s about relationships,” and interacting with the public as neighbors, he said.
The police division is also continuing its initiative of having officers involved on community boards, such as the school foundation, community foundation, and Human Relations Commission; in support of festivals such as the Black Swamp Arts Festival and Firefly Nights; working with students through the DARE, Life Skills and Safety Town programs; and participating in the Shop with a Cop program.
Also during the council meeting, White took the opportunity to update officials on other issues:
- The police division received more than 31,000 calls for service last year. The numbers look to be trending high again in 2026, with more than 13,000 so far this year. The calls for service always pick up a lot in the fall, “for obvious reasons” when BGSU students return to town.
- The police division assigned an investigator to the Retail Theft Task Force in Wood County. BGPD recently recovered more than $40,000 in merchandise with a task force warrant.
- Frauds and scams are continuing to increase – victimizing people of all ages. The problems are likely to worsen with more AI, the chief said.
- BGPD has hired three new police officers to replace retiring members, and two new conditional job opportunities are pending. One new dispatcher has been added to the staff.
- Requests for public records and videos continue to increase. “That creates a lot more work,” White said, explaining that under Ohio law, the police division must follow 17 criteria for redactions before making the information public.
- So far this year, 5,000 hours of training has been completed by BGPD employees.
- Renovation plans for the downtown police station are continuing. The police division is scheduled to temporarily move into the old East Court Street fire station late in 2027, after the two new fire stations are constructed. Once the police station is renovated, BGPD will move back to the downtown setting, and the old fire station will be demolished.
