The Hot Springs Police Department's Housing Authority Officer Program is designed to enable the community to develop a closer relationship with an officer that they can trust, rely upon and get to know on more than just a professional level. In some cases the only experience people have with a police officer proves to be a negative one, either in their own lives or in the lives of someone they know. Having a dedicated officer work in a particular community day in and day out helps residents and officers become more familiar with each other and learn to find one another much more approachable. In his way the citizen/police officer relationship can develop in a much more positive, relaxed atmosphere that makes it easier for residents to see that the police department is genuinely interested in helping them to live and raise their children in a safe, peaceful and productive environment.