Clovis PD’s Ty Wood receives national recognition

Clovis Police Service Officer Ty Wood with his Neighborhood Champion Award. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Clovis Police Service Officer Ty Wood is receiving national recognition for his commitment to keeping the public informed.

Nextdoor, a social network used by law enforcement agencies to connect with the community, selected Wood as one of its 35 Neighborhood Champions for his use of the application to better serve his community.

“More than 1,500 law enforcement agencies are using Nextdoor to connect with residents at the neighborhood level to not only ensure that they feel safe but to ensure that they also feel heard,” said Jen Burke, Nextdoor’s Director of Local Media Relations. “Over the years, as Nextdoor has grown to more than 177,000 neighborhoods using the platform, we wanted to take the opportunity to recognize the other half of the conversation – our local public agencies.

“For the first time, we’re issuing a list of our Neighborhood Champions in Law Enforcement. It’s really an opportunity for us to thank and recognize the amazing law enforcement officials that go above and beyond in their job, specifically using Nextdoor to connect with residents at the neighborhood level.”

Wood earned the recognition based on the amount of appreciation (thanks and replies) he has received from neighbors in response to his Nextdoor posts.

“It’s really gratifying to see it pay off,” said Wood. “With the addition of social media platforms like Nextdoor, I think law enforcement in general is doing a better job of reaching out to the public, knowing that’s what they expect nowadays. It’s not just a phone call, they can reach us on different platforms which is fantastic for them and for us.”

When Wood and the Clovis Police Department first started using Nextdoor in November of 2014, they had 1,776 local users on the platform. Less than four years later, that number has grown to almost 21,000.

“We’re not just putting out information, we’re engaging in the community,” said Wood. “We’re answering questions, we’re following up with comments. What’s even better is we’re receiving crime tips on social media as well, so it even helps us solve crime.”

A native of Woodlake, Daniel Leon is a recent graduate of Fresno State with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Daniel served as Sports Editor at The Collegian, Fresno State’s student-run newspaper, prior to joining the Roundup. Got a story idea? Email him at editor@clovisroundup.com