The Community Affairs Unit is responsible for the creation and dissemination of public safety information to the community at large. The unit also presents various safety programs to the public and manages the Sheriff's Office Speaker's Bureau. The Community Affairs Unit also coordinates and directs the appearance of deputies representing the Sheriff's Office at special events. A portion of the duties of this unit involves representing the Sheriff, at his direction, on various countywide coalitions, committees, and/or special initiatives, some of which are listed below.

Safe Kids Coalition of Summit County, under the umbrella of Children's Hospital, focuses on the prevention of unintentional injuries to children.

Community Partnership centers on the prevention of the use of alcohol and other drugs, principally among youth.

Child Abuse/Family Awareness Month initiative is held each March and is coordinated by Children's Services.

TRIAD is part of a nationwide effort, operated at the county level, this program centers on reducing crimes and the victimization of older adults.

Summit County Safe Communities, funded by a grant to the Sheriff's Office from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, program focuses on highway safety issues and the overall safety of the community.

Education Task Force on Youth Violence is based at Children's Hospital. The focus of this task force is on the reduction and prevention of youth violence.

Summit County Elder Abuse Prevention Coalition was formed in 1998 and, operating under the umbrella of the Area Agency on Aging, this coalition's primary focus is on the awareness and prevention of elder abuse, exploitation and neglect.

TUFF Stuff, a loosely knit group of social service agencies, governmental organizations and others. This committee focuses on cooperative efforts to more effectively respond various problems involving interagency relationships and concerns.

Continuum of Care Community Committee, coordinated by the City of Akron's Department of Planning and Urban Development, is a county-wide initiative to address the needs of persons in need of permanent and temporary housing, from battered women, veterans in need, recently released jail inmates, chronic homeless and others.

Education Leadership Roundtable, a community effort to mobilize the Akron community in support of the education of our children, the improvement of our schools, and the betterment of our town.

Summit Business Partnership, a group made up of city, county and township government agencies, along with business support groups whose intent is to retain current business in Summit County.

Children Who Witness Violence Program, a collaboration of Children's Hospital's Department of Adolescent Services and Community Partners. The program will offer immediate home-based crisis intervention and trauma support services for children under the age of 18 who witness violence at home or elsewhere in Summit County.

Character Counts Coalition, a coalition of community and public agencies in cooperation with educators whose purpose is to fortify the lives of young people by teaching a set of ethical values as illustrated by the six pillars of character; Caring, Citizenship, Fairness, Respect, Responsibility and Trustworthiness.

(c) Copyright County of Summit 2005. All rights reserved.