BADEN - Betty McKee admits that if she were standing next to a Baden police officer who wasn't in uniform, she probably wouldn't recognize him.


That's light-years away from the McKee who 40 years ago knew just about everybody in Baden - the police, the paperboy, the mailman. Not now. "You don't even know your neighbors anymore," McKee said recently from her State Street porch.

Baden Mayor Samuel Gagliardi sees this as a problem. He especially believes residents such as McKee should be able to pick out their police officers in a lineup. So after hearing complaints from residents who said they don't know any of the officers, Gagliardi discussed the problem with Chief Daniel Colaizzi.

Over the last couple of months, the two figured out a solution. A new policy requires police to take some time out of their shift, park the cruiser on one of the 72 borough streets and stroll around the neighborhood. Gagliardi particularly wants officers to park if they see children on the playground, or a crowd at church gatherings and town events.


"The thing behind it is," Gagliardi said, "sometimes the residents never have the opportunity to talk to police officers because they're always in the car. We're trying to promote better relationships between the police and the residents."

Mainly in the summer, at least once per daylight shift, Colaizzi said, officers will interact with residents. Colaizzi said this will also help police hear complaints and concerns firsthand.

Gagliardi said he also hopes that exposing officers to residents will dispel images of the motorcycle cop sitting behind the billboard waiting for a speeding motorist.
"We want the children to know the police officers are friendly and let people view them and talk to them and see they're not a threat," Gagliardi said.



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