SC Johnson Announces Plans to Fund Village of Mount Pleasant's First Community-Oriented Policing House

RACINE, Wis., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- At a community event today, SC Johnson announced it will support the Village of Mount Pleasant Police Department's plans to develop a new community-oriented policing (COP) house at 23rd and Mead Streets in Mount Pleasant, Wis. This initiative marks the first COP house in the Village of Mount Pleasant and will provide a dedicated, safe environment for relationships between the local police and local community. SC Johnson will provide $350,000 to fund the facility's construction and programming for the neighborhood.

"SC Johnson is excited to support the Mount Pleasant community with this opportunity," said Kelly M. Semrau, Senior Vice President, Global Corporate Affairs, Communication & Sustainability. "As an active member of the community, SC Johnson is invested in making the area a stronger, more vibrant place to live, work and do business. We believe the COP house will serve as a catalyst and anchor for further business and residential investment along the Racine Street corridor."

COP is an exciting engagement strategy designed to create positive and frequent interaction between a COP officer, local residents and neighborhood businesses. By embedding an officer within the community and providing a safe, dedicated space for community events, the COP strategy has strengthened community ties. Further, COP has built relationships to integrate families and businesses in the neighborhood, which has attracted new business opportunities.

"We're grateful to SC Johnson for its support as we launch this initiative," said Tim Zarzecki, Village of Mount Pleasant Police Chief. "The police department alone cannot solve the complex social issues that affect a neighborhood. It truly takes a partnership among residents and businesses working together to bring about impactful change."

This effort builds off of the highly successful COP model developed by Community Outpost founder and former Racine Police Chief Dick Polzin, which has reduced crime and provided a forum for engaging neighborhood residents and businesses in community revitalization.

The COP house will serve as a home base for the officer and a gathering spot for the community to host events, block watch meetings, trainings and educational workshops. It will be designed and built as a single family home, so that it can transition into a residential home for a new family at some point in the future. 

Pending approvals, construction could start as early as June 2014 and be completed as early as September 2014.

About SC Johnson

SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE®, and RIDSECT®. The 128-year-old company, that generates $9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

SOURCE SC Johnson