On Jan. 31, 2025, the Sarasota Police Department debuted its new Mobile Command Center, which sports a custom exterior wrap designed by three students from the Ringling College of Art and Design, organized through an INDEX initiative. The command center will be driven throughout the community and used for emergency situations and community outreach.
Bella Race ’26, Graphic Design, Bella Thompson ’26, Graphic Design, and Samantha Balikowa ’26, Business of Art and Design, collaborated on the project; the back of the vehicle now bears their names. The students’ ideas took into account Sarasota’s identity and history, an approachable design to encourage interactions with the community, and signage that clearly communicated the vehicle’s purpose.
Ringling College Liberal Arts faculty member Matt Giles shared his perspective on the wrap’s impact on the local community: “The wrap that the Ringling students designed for Sarasota Police Department’s new Mobile Command Center looks amazing,” he said. “By including Ringling students and faculty in the creation process, Sarasota PD builds positive relationships with community members who would otherwise be uninvolved.”
Giles, who teaches a course on Policing and Media at the College, advocates for a closer relationship between law enforcement and the community. “I teach about the essential role of outreach to different pillars of the local community, and I’m thrilled to see our local police putting in the work to connect,” he explained. Cynthia Johnson, Sarasota PD’s Public Information Officer, has taken time in previous semesters to visit the class and talk with students about the complicated role of police in working with the local community.
“I encourage students—and all community members—to actively build connections with local law enforcement so that they already have meaningful relationships with police when they later interact with them,” said Giles. “By doing so, they have the option to become visible members of the community who can help guide interactions with police toward transparency, accountability, and collaboration.”
Giles is a member of Ringling College’s Subject Matter Experts, focusing on intergroup communication, communication between police and protest groups, protest art, and language as culture.
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