Safety Ambassadors Walk The Streets, Offer Help, Promote Safety
LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- A new program in Longmont will add additional security to streets and greenways, while also promoting a more welcoming environment.
"Safety Ambassadors" will walk the public areas in Longmont this summer after the city signed on for a 16-week program.
"It is really important for us to make sure the people feel the area is clean, and safe," said Sandra Seader, Assistant City Manager in Longmont.
Safety ambassadors are expected to pace the roadways and greenways in Longmont this summer. The city said they also could return for four weeks during the holiday season.
Wearing khaki shorts and labeled polos, the safety ambassadors will be encouraged to interact with the public, while also keeping an eye out for suspicious activity.
"We will have an extra set of eyes and ears, that will help out community members," said Kimberlee McKee, Executive Director of the Longmont Downtown Development Authority.
"(Safety ambassadors will) be able to show visitors where to go, where to park, and how to get different places," Seader said. "As well as to be able to handle issues that may happen."
Ambassadors will not be armed and will carry brochures to hand out to the public. They have been instructed to notify police of any illegal activity they come across.
"You never know what you are going to find when you're working out downtown, in the parks, or on the greenway," Seader said.
The city will pay less than $2,000 a week for two safety ambassadors. Those employees, hired through a private security company, will also be able to properly address leftover personal items from transient camps.
"They will tag that for 24 hours," McKee said.
Seader said she hoped most of the time the ambassadors spent in the public, would be interaction with others. She said the safety ambassadors would serve as a welcoming face to the town, while offering any service they can to those who need it.
"We want to make sure everyone has a safe experience," McKee said.
Dillon Thomas is a reporter at CBS4 and a Colorado native. He believes everyone has a story, and would love to share yours! You can find more of his stories by following him on Twitter, @DillonMThomas.
