Interim Police Chief Danny White said two things during his first week on the job the Natchez community needed to hear.

Included on his list of short-term goals for the department are community policing and getting involved himself.

White said he has already asked his officers to get out of their vehicles and make routine visits to businesses and areas of high crime.

And while he’s getting comfortable in the job, White has said he’ll be talking to the community about crime and patrolling the streets himself.

It’s basic police work, really.

But in recent months, maybe years, the good people of Natchez have felt less and less of a presence from their men in blue.

Refocusing efforts to make sure the civilians among us see the officers more often may just work wonders to improving community morale and decreasing crime.

In addition, a commitment to being visible, accessible and active from White is exactly what we need from our chief.

The Natchez Police Department is in a state of flux. No one yet knows who the next chief may be or what the coming months may bring.

But Natchez can’t allow transition to slow progress and crime fighting.

White has protected us for many years from a different office at NPD, and we have full faith he’ll continue to get the job done now.

We are happy to hear he’s up to the task, and as long as he lives up to his promises, we believe the Natchez community will support him and all the officers.