On this episode of The Retail Crime Intelligence Podcast, Rob Wolf (Auror) talks with Police Chief Eric Clifford (Schenectady, NY) about connecting and collaborating across organizations and teams to make communities safer. They cover everything from Chief Clifford’s career journey to lessons learned as a law enforcement leader – they also dive into the current state of community crime, retail’s role in that, and how leaders like Chief Clifford are addressing it in the US. Eric Clifford is the Police Chief for Schenectady, the county seat of Schenectady County in Eastern New York. Chief Clifford is a certified Crisis Negotiator, Zone Five Regional Police Academy instructor, the former call-out coordinator for the Peer Support team, and trained as a bicycle police officer. He is also on the board of directors for the Zone Five Regional Police Academy and the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center. Jump into the conversation: [00:00] An introduction to Police Chief Eric Clifford [07:55] Efforts to recruit and diversify the police force ongoing [10:29] Shifting police mindset and building community trust through outreach programs [15:37] The importance of addressing theft for community welfare [21:31] County meeting discusses quarterly assessments, active shooter training, and emerging technology [25:12] How partnerships help reduce crime and poverty in the community [26:27] Expressing gratitude for community safety efforts, partnership, learning, and podcast participation Resources: Erics’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-s-clifford-40849a14/ Rob’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpwolf/ Auror’s website: https://www.auror.co