Technology and Teamwork

Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche talks about how collaboration leads to great things. Learn how technology and teamwork help students stay educated and engaged during the summer.  

Community Partners, Deb Kabinoff from the Deb Kabinoff Fund, Jeff Birnbach from the Sarasota Police Foundation, and Lucero Guzman from UnidosNow join Chief Troche to discuss a unique community outreach project in the 1500 N. Orange, Sarasota, neighborhood.  

Thanks to a generous donation by the Deb Kabinoff Fund and Sarasota Police Foundation, 100 students will receive a new iPad this May. The devices will support the students on their learning journey to help remove the barriers some young people face in accessing essential educational tools outside of school.

Chat with the Chief is the official podcast of the Sarasota Police Department, where Chief Troche speaks with department leaders and community partners about public safety, policing and issues that impact our community. Each episode offers insights, stories from the field and guidance on how residents and visitors can stay informed and engaged.

Transcript

00:00:07:18 - 00:00:30:25
Unknown
I'm teacher of year. Welcome back to another super exciting edition of Chat with the Chief. I'm really excited to be talking about this project. We have been working on for months and it's technology and teamwork. Today, I'm honored to be hanging out with some really important people from our community. I have missed cab and off here in front of me.

00:00:31:03 - 00:00:46:02
Unknown
Obviously, no one can see what's going on because we're doing this on a podcast. But just to kind of give you the lay of the land. I have Miss Lucero Guzman, who's to my right, and I have Mr. Jeff Byrne back to my left. So we're going to do is we're gonna do ladies first because we're gentlemen, right?

00:00:46:02 - 00:01:08:22
Unknown
Jeff Right. That's right. And so we're going to start with Ms.. Kavanaugh. Can you just tell us a little bit about yourself? My career was in the software business, so I would start build up and sell software companies. So I was always tuned in to technology and the value of using computers and technology in new and exciting ways.

00:01:09:16 - 00:01:53:11
Unknown
I was fortunate and sold one of my companies when I was fairly young and retired here to Sarasota when I was about 42. I immediately was impressed with Sarasota's diversity and level of philanthropy. So I saw how many generous people were doing different projects and accomplishing great things in the city. So I was really impressed with that and knew I wanted to join that, take that opportunity here to in with my own philanthropy because I made my money in my career using technology for corporations and helping them benefit.

00:01:54:00 - 00:02:22:10
Unknown
I wanted to go ahead and take that same technology technological advance and use it for not for profit organizations. So I like to specialize in projects that use technology to solve problems for not for profit groups, and that may be reaching out to a new community, doing better education, doing better communication, things that will take advantage of the emerging technology and let us communicate better.

00:02:22:28 - 00:02:57:06
Unknown
Okay. And and you see an opportunity here in Sarasota. Absolutely. Here we have so many arts activities and we also have educational activities. We have children who can benefit from STEM type learning and older people who can benefit from online information so that they can get information in their homes where they may be more comfortable. So all across of all the age groups that we have here, I feel that they can benefit.

00:02:57:27 - 00:03:27:15
Unknown
When, Chief, when you started talking to me about a project that would help children learn better over the summer by using technology, that was something that I completely identified with because many of us are familiar with that summer slide where the students who do well during the year but then in the summer don't have the same educational opportunities, lose ground.

00:03:27:29 - 00:03:46:04
Unknown
And so the chance to do something to boost those kids gives them a tool to use over the summer was right in the area where I thought that I could do some good. Yeah, I thought it was interesting that we met at the gala and I just felt like God was putting us in the right place at the right time and we just had a great conversation.

00:03:46:15 - 00:04:07:02
Unknown
And when I, when I heard of what you were trying to accomplish and and the method that you're trying to do it, I just thought that this would be a great opportunity to help some less unfortunate kids and give them an opportunity, as you said, to avoid the summer slide in implementing technology sooner than later. Right. Because we all know knowledge is power.

00:04:07:16 - 00:04:29:26
Unknown
Right. And it was great for me. It was the first time that I had gotten involved with the Sarasota Police Foundation and was amazed at the wonderful work that organized Ocean was doing. And there at the gala, I had the honor of sitting next to and then hearing about this project, and it was something that I knew I could help with.

00:04:30:00 - 00:04:55:24
Unknown
Now that's great. And then since we kind of just went into that area, Jeff, just tell us a little bit about yourself and then what you're here to talk about with respect to the foundation. I'm president of the Sarasota Blues Foundation, which is really a Fiber 23. It's a nonprofit. It's all purpose and reason for being is really to support the men and women of the department and support initiatives that make make good sense to our community related to policing.

00:04:56:10 - 00:05:15:15
Unknown
I think we have a very strong police department. We have a great relationship with the department in the community. The community policing has been very strong. And when I heard about this initiative, it wanted to do clearly the foundation was, you know, ready to jump on it from the very start. It's exactly the things we try to embody and the things we try to foster in the community.

00:05:15:27 - 00:05:34:23
Unknown
That building, that relationship between officers, between the community, you know, making it a better place for all of us. It's an investment in our future collectively, and it's the type of thing we really like to support and get behind. I think what's really incredible about the Sarasota Police Foundation is that you're helping not just the police department and the officers.

00:05:35:14 - 00:05:54:24
Unknown
With respect to officer wellness, I know we have a Brazilian jujitsu training that you all fund, and when we have officers in need, you step forward to assist the officers. But now you're taking this leap over where you're you're helping the community and you're being a conduit to help us help the community. Yeah, I mean, it's a partnership.

00:05:54:24 - 00:06:12:00
Unknown
We know it all comes from all quarters. Sometimes, you know, areas you least expect. I think that this particular initiative is really unique in that it has the potential to change kids lives. And I was melodramatic about it, but it really does. You know, it used to be a couple of years ago, if you have the Internet, it was a luxury.

00:06:12:06 - 00:06:41:24
Unknown
Now it's a necessity. And if you don't have it, you're actually almost behind. So I think with Deb's initiative is doing is actually helping these kids catch up, stay up and hopefully get ahead. And that's, I think you know, better for all of us to utilize. And for me, a key piece of this was doing it with the police department and the Police Foundation, because it gives us a chance to show these young children that the police are part of our community, an important part of our community.

00:06:41:24 - 00:07:04:11
Unknown
They're not the enemy. But there are our partners, our friends or colleagues, and a key part of what we all need to stay safe now. And that's a great point. It gives us an opportunity to shine a light on. Officers are not just coming to these locations to put someone in jail or take some them my way. We're actually here to help and help for their future.

00:07:04:11 - 00:07:38:19
Unknown
So. Sara, tell us a little bit about yourself and Unidos now and their role now is an organization that focuses on education and the main reason why I think personally this is really important to the students that in the communities that this project will take place in is because a lot of them are Latino or Hispanic. I think the reason that partnerships are so important is because every organization or every entity or every individual involved can bring their own specialty to the table.

00:07:39:00 - 00:08:08:27
Unknown
And I think for Unidos now, that can be that that connection with families, a lot of them will trust us. And I don't take that lightly. I'm very lucky to be working with the organization. We focus on getting students to a post-secondary path, and for that reason, technology is vital for our programs. We have a lot of hybrid programing where if a student doesn't have access to a device, they have a hard time participating.

00:08:08:27 - 00:08:31:01
Unknown
And that doesn't just go for one of those now educational programs, but it goes for their schools as well. Back to the summer slide. A lot of students are accessing resources over the summer online or accessing information of in-person events They can go to online, and if they don't have, again, access to those those resources, they won't be able to get there.

00:08:31:05 - 00:08:56:21
Unknown
It's a good point. And I and I think what to your point, it's all about great collaboration, right? And we well, we all have a platform. And so and I don't know if we made this clear yet, but in discussion with Miss CAVANAUGH off, she was very humble to write a check so that we could give away 100 iPads to the children and 1500 North Orange trailer park.

00:08:57:12 - 00:09:19:00
Unknown
And so because she was able to do that and we had contacts from assisting in the past, we were able to use our platform to help disseminate those that will be coming up here on May 20th at 11 a.m. at the trailer park. But then what we wanted to do, we also wanted to partner with great partners and not just regular partners, great partners.

00:09:19:00 - 00:09:41:27
Unknown
So we need those. Now is more than willing to help us with people to come out there to assist with training, more communication, and then hopefully to assist those kids if they need assistance with respect to secondary schools, whether that be college, whether that be air conditioning, heating, just some type of secondary school so that they could move on in their future and have success.

00:09:42:10 - 00:10:02:00
Unknown
And I think the other component of this has been the Sarasota Police Foundation to assist us with that. It's just it's been an amazing partnership. And to have you all is as leaders with us in the community. I mean, we just couldn't ask for more. We really couldn't. Deb, can you just tell us a little bit more about your your goals?

00:10:02:00 - 00:10:30:04
Unknown
I know you said that you want to do more down the road. You want to speak to that. So this project embodies the best of what I have in mind, too, of my own. Philanthropy, for one thing, were helping children. In this case, it's a group of children whose parents perhaps don't speak English and maybe are not as able and also are financially disadvantaged.

00:10:30:16 - 00:11:05:23
Unknown
So this will help the children get the devices they need and the knowledge that they need to continue learning over the summer. That's something that I'm always in favor of. Then the idea that we can help the children understand that police are an integral part of our community and they're helpful to all of us, all of us. That's something very important to me to get across to many people in our community, rather than thinking of police as an enemy or someone to be afraid of, to think of them as an ally.

00:11:06:24 - 00:11:30:09
Unknown
So that was the second thing. And then the third thing was the idea of using technology in the best possible way. And it is so essential to us now that we don't even think about it. We need to have a cell phone and we need to have a computer to learn. So this will provide that tool to children who otherwise might not have that.

00:11:30:28 - 00:12:13:05
Unknown
So in going forward, I look forward to doing more projects like this, bringing together partnerships, because how great is that? We hear is a good example of not saying, this is my silo and I'm doing this by myself, but rather saying, how can we work together as a community to get the best possible result? I love. I have loved working with the police department, so I look forward to doing many more projects with you all and the Police Foundation because there is just no better organization that's integral to the safety of our community and allowing our community to thrive.

00:12:13:05 - 00:12:37:06
Unknown
We need this resource very badly. So for me, this is a first step and I see many more projects that we can join together. That's great. That's great. And you know what I love about everybody in this room is and everyone in here is successful in their own area, but everyone in here does not have an ego and I think that is really the key to success.

00:12:37:06 - 00:13:05:15
Unknown
When when we talk about collaboration and true collaboration, if there are no egos in the room, we get so much more done and it's so much easier. Jeff, Can you tell us about the foundations and their goals and then how people can become a member of the foundation? Yeah, so the foundation is really intended to support policing at all levels, both the men and women who are sworn, the staff unsworn civilian personnel, but also the initiatives within the department.

00:13:05:24 - 00:13:26:19
Unknown
And we recognize that a strong police department makes for a strong local economy and a strong community. So we see it very much as a trickle down impact. So we're always looking for people who want to, you know, help us. You know, we are 100% nonprofit. We have no employees. We don't spend a dollar for anything other than a couple of business cards.

00:13:26:19 - 00:13:53:17
Unknown
And sure, too, that, you know, 98 pennies, 99 pennies of every dollar goes to the men and women and to the department and to the community. So to the extent anybody interested in supporting our efforts, Sarasota Police Foundation. Org. We're right there on the web. We have a couple of events each year to raise money, raise awareness, and we invite anybody in the community to to reach out and say hi to us and we'll figure out how we can work with you to make you part of the the the greater good for all of us.

00:13:54:00 - 00:14:30:24
Unknown
No, thank you. And then Lucero Unidos. Now how can how can people help who need us now or reach out or donate? The best way to reach us would be through our website which is WW W dot unidos now dot org and that's spelled you and I d os and o w dot org on there. There's information on donations but also on getting involved which for a nonprofit organization is probably the biggest, the biggest thing that organizations want is people that are willing to work with you and volunteer their time.

00:14:31:03 - 00:14:56:21
Unknown
So there are opportunities to do that for mentorship, to working out outreach events, to even doing behind the scenes tasks on your computer. So monetary donations, time donations. And if someone listening is interested in getting connected to resources, there's also a tab on there that can get you contacted with the correct staff member for whatever age group you or your child are in.

00:14:57:09 - 00:15:18:01
Unknown
That's awesome. Thank you. And I also like to say this to you that the city Sarasota police Department, we're involved in a lot of events. We do our kids and officers promoting solidarity where we go to Robert L Taylor Center and we interact with the kids after school, during spring break, during summer break, we sit down and break bread with the kids and we think that's just really important.

00:15:18:01 - 00:15:40:03
Unknown
The officers show up in regular street clothes and they have an opportunity to play basketball, play video games and just chat. And we've had amazing feedback from that. We also do books and barbers where we select a few barbershops throughout the city, and we essentially pay for all the haircuts right before they go to school. We have a saying, right?

00:15:40:04 - 00:15:57:29
Unknown
You want to you want to you want to look good and you want to feel good, right? But you got to look good to feel good. And so it's important to us. We also assist with backpacks, making sure that kids are going back to school with backpacks and supplies so that they're prepared for school. So this is just something that we are continuing to build and grow on.

00:15:57:29 - 00:16:24:29
Unknown
And we were fortunate to meet Deb, who's just so generous in giving this this type of donation in order to change not one life, potentially 100 lives. And I even say after that, there's a multiplier for that because, yes, you're coming into the lives of these kids, but you're not only changing their lives, but you're changing their siblings lives, you're changing their parents lives because they too, can use the iPads to look for work, to learn English.

00:16:25:10 - 00:16:42:24
Unknown
There's just a lot of opportunity that can come with this. And it just proves that if you collaborate and you come together, we can get a lot done. And I really feel that that we are able to accomplish that. So I believe we saw a problem. The solution is, Hey, let's get these kids a little more education, let's get them access to technology.

00:16:43:05 - 00:17:04:00
Unknown
And then the benefit. The benefit is, who knows? I mean, we could sit here all day and talk about the benefits because the reality of it is there's no way we could even describe the potential benefits for all these families. And that's because of everyone in this room working together. All right. So let's talk about 1500 North Orange Trailer Park a little bit.

00:17:04:09 - 00:17:35:21
Unknown
So as a police officer, many years ago, I remember going to a call for service there and it was about the street within the trailer park being blocked off. And it was a Clinton era. So we all know how that how important that is in the Spanish community. And I remember walking through the park and I just cannot believe that a trailer park in the city of Sarasota was dilapidated to this point.

00:17:35:21 - 00:18:05:02
Unknown
And I got to meet some of the kids in the families and they're so beautiful and so kind and so giving and so right then And there is when I realized that one day if I had an opportunity, that I would do everything I can to help people in this park. Because time and time again after I would go in there, people are just so outgoing and friendly and they're just very hardworking and they are just trying to make a life for not only themselves, but their their kids and their kids kids.

00:18:05:17 - 00:18:23:09
Unknown
And so knowing that as the years have gone on, as I've moved up in rank, if we've had an opportunity to go in there and help, we have. And so I was fortunate a few years ago to go in there and help with backpacks, and then we were able to get a barbershop in the area to assist with haircuts.

00:18:23:24 - 00:18:41:05
Unknown
And then we were I believe we were able to do backpacks again. And then not too long ago we did sneakers for the kids because I think it goes back to if you have pride in yourself, you're going to go to school with some pride. So I think that that's how my interest is really built up. And I know, Deb, I know you have a story to write.

00:18:41:05 - 00:19:05:22
Unknown
I had also noticed that the trailer park because the school bus would stop there in the morning and what seemed like 100 children would come out to get on the school bus and they were so darling. The parents were there with the children at the bus stop. The children, the girls had their hair braided. The children all had on clean clothes.

00:19:05:22 - 00:19:38:14
Unknown
They all had their little backpacks and were obviously very well cared for. And the parents would help the kids on the bus. And it was a heartwarming scene of America children and parents going to school. So at that time I was motivated to bring books to the trailer park and I would just get go to Costco and get their spare boxes and fill them up with books and take them to the trailer park and just knock on one of the trailer doors and say, I have books for the children.

00:19:38:23 - 00:20:05:24
Unknown
And then kids would come out from everywhere. So it was very heartwarming to me, as you describe, Chief, to see this neighborhood of young families just doing a good job of of taking care of themselves and each other. And so it was remarkable that then you brought up this project to me about the kids in that trailer park who I had I was already familiar with.

00:20:06:03 - 00:20:29:21
Unknown
It's amazing. It was. And then I Know You Need those Now has been in there before, right? With Sarah. What what what are you trying to do in there that you had done in the past? What what did you know? We had wanted to learn about the needs of the community, basically. And I can relate to what you were saying about being very touched by the families there.

00:20:29:27 - 00:20:54:09
Unknown
I think I had some of the most genuine conversations with some of the people there. I remember knocking on doors hoping somebody would open the door and they were the people that opened the door were very welcoming. I met. They would introduce me to all of their kids, their pets, and we would sit like I remember we sat outside their house and I the little girl, she was showing me her drawings and she was telling me about what she wants to do when she grows up.

00:20:54:18 - 00:21:20:12
Unknown
They told me their life story about the suffering they'd gone through, but they were so optimistic. And I remember being very it impacted me how I didn't know this existed, This community existed, and I grew up in Sarasota, and that community is only minutes away from very affluent areas in downtown. And I had been there earlier that day.

00:21:20:12 - 00:21:48:27
Unknown
I specifically remember that. So seeing that transition was a shock to me because I didn't know it was there and the people were so kind. My main goal for, you know, being a part of this and only those now being a part of this is for the iPads to be continued to use for education. And I know it was mentioned that maybe one of the children there will be a police officers or some one in law enforcement in the future.

00:21:49:11 - 00:22:26:24
Unknown
And I was thinking of something as simple as maybe they can check their grades. Now, even people that have cell phones, they don't even know how to access their parent portal or their student portal. And a lot of the times that's the key for the parent being involved in the child's education for the first time. So maybe having this device, if they didn't have one before, could be the key to a student now having the support of their parent or their parent, finding out they're consistently not turning their homework in and they need to get involved and I see that as a huge benefit for the children of that community.

00:22:27:06 - 00:22:48:01
Unknown
Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head. It's a game changer really. At the end of the day, it's another form of communication that's going to help advance these families. And we know because I've seen it, when you put these iPads in the hand of a two year old, a three year old, and then you fast forward it and you see them four or five or six years later, they are like Bill Gates on a computer.

00:22:48:01 - 00:23:04:04
Unknown
It's amazing. So here's an opportunity to change their lives. And I think we're really doing it. So I just want to say thank you all for coming. You want to see any last words before we close it out? You know, maybe one of the kids from this trailer park ends up becoming an officer to serve his own community.

00:23:04:15 - 00:23:31:01
Unknown
Be kind of a cool story. How amazing. Yeah, maybe even the chief. But the chief. Maybe the chief. Let's make that a chief or put it in. Log it this time. This day. It's official. It's history. All right, Well, thanks for listening. If you haven't listened to the other podcasts, the homeless outreach team or the one about everyone's favorite in Sarasota, traffic and roundabouts, please go and listen on any of your favorite podcasts channels.

00:23:31:08 - 00:23:44:03
Unknown
Sarasota. Have a great day. Remember to live, love, work, play in our city because we love it just as much as you do.