As tensions between police and citizens have risen across the country, locally, the new Pella Police Chief wants to emphasize the need for ongoing dialogue between the two parties.

Shane McSheehy is approaching three months leading the Pella Police Department after serving as a Captain in Eustis, Florida, and says he was able to meet two dozen residents Tuesday morning at the new Butcher’s Brewhuis as part of his monthly “Join the Conversation” series.

McSheehy says forming a back-and-forth relationship between residents and police can help ease misunderstandings and reinforce the importance of service to community.

“The bulk of that responsibility is on the police department — I understand that and push that vision out to our folks,” he says. “It’s about community policing and service — we are in the service business. That’s what we do, and actually crime fighting becomes a smaller portion of what we do here. It’s very important to listen and to make our processes transparent, so people not only understand what we’re doing, but why we’re doing it.”

Hear more from McSheehy about his adjustment to life in Pella on this past Monday’s Let’s Talk Pella.