North Central Heritage Neighborhood Association

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SAPD Officer Joe Gilliam,

 Our New SAFFE Officer

Officer Joe Gilliam, a ten year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department, has taken the reins as the new SAFFE (San Antonio Fear-Free Environment) officer for our area.  He replaces Officer Arthur Garro.

Officer Gilliam grew up in the hills of North Carolina and acquired a strong love for the outdoors.  It was this love that attracted him to join the United States Army, where he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant, serving with both the Army Airborne Infantry and the Military Police K-9 Unit.  His military experiences had him based in Alaska , with travel throughout much of North America .  During this time he also worked to complete his college education, resulting in a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Wayland Baptist University . 

 The impetus for his choice of San Antonio , following his military service, was the reputation for excellence of the San Antonio Police Department.  He joined the SAPD in 1999, served his first three years on the south side and has been working out of the Jones-Maltsberger substation for the past seven years.  He transferred to the SAFFE program about a year ago, initially concentrating his efforts on the area near Roosevelt High School . 

 His assignment to our area brings Officer Gilliam new challenges.  Musing about a police officer’s relationships with citizens, he commented about the advantages of how the old “street cop” was able to get to know the citizens on his beat.  In many cases the local police officer knew well the neighborhood families, seeing their children grow up, and serving as an integral part of the community. Officer Gilliam sees a similarity in the role of today’s SAFFE Officer.  By his very nature, today’s SAFFE officer is able to get past the barrier of the patrol car, and work closely with local citizens.  Officer Gilliam is looking forward to getting to know the residents of our area and assisting us in maintaining our reputation as a low-crime, family-friendly area of the city.

The biggest danger we face in our community, crime-wise, is apathy.  We must all work together to ensure that we do not become apathetic about the potential for crime in our community.  We at NCHNA welcome Officer Gilliam and look forward to working with him, as our community’s new SAFFE Officer.