Colorado Springs Police Department- Government Hero of the Year

Company: Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado Springs, CO
Company Description: The City of Colorado Springs is the 39th largest city in America with an estimated 2020 population of nearly 490,000 people. The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) has a staff of 1088, between sworn civilian employees; they cover an area of nearly 200 square miles answering over 300,000 calls a year.
Nomination Category: COVID-19 Response Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Government Hero of the Year

Nomination Title: Natashia Kerr

In early 2020, the Colorado Springs Community was impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic. This was particularly problematic for the Community Relations Unit, as all community events were postponed. The Community Relations Unit moved online, with a virtual community relations series. The department saw a great response from the community on our social media platforms. Many of the posts performed 90-95% better than other posts. The feedback was wonderful, as we found a new and innovative way to connect and strengthen our bond with the community.

With that said, this would not have been possible without the hard work of Senior Public Communications Specialist Natashia Kerr. The Community Relations Unit would take ideas to Senior Public Communications Specialist Kerr and she worked hand-and-hand with the unit to turn them into reality. She helped create digital content that was professional and creative, making real connections with our community. She continued her normal day-to-day functions,updating the community on the department's COVID response, along with providing updates to any major incident related to the safety of our community. She worked hard, making time to help the Community Relations Unit with their projects. She even sacrificed time off to help make these projects successful.

Senior Public Communications Specialist Kerr is recognized for her outstanding performance, working closely with the Community Relations Unit, creating unique one-of-a-kind virtual content that was a modelfor agencies across the country. It was not only emulated by other agencies, but also other cities and even a professional sports team.

Senior Public Communications Specialist Kerr should be commended for her extraordinary efforts and outstanding achievements in this truly challenging year. She went above and beyond her basic assignment, which enhanced community relations, kept our community informed about COVID-19 issues and brought credit to the Department.