MILWAUKEE — Haircuts and hard conversations. Milwaukee police and city residents gathered at Gee’s Clippers to take part in an open forum discussion with free food and free haircuts.
The Atlanta-based non-profit 'Clippers and Cops' came to the north side business to facilitate the conversation.
Ty Dennis is the founder of the group and a former officer for over a decade. His time wearing the badge showed a need for citizens and officers to better understand each other.
“Pretty much everyone that came across my desk looked like me," said Dennis. “They were a minority so for me I wanted to do something to keep them from coming across my desk.”
When Arleta Slaughter, program manager for the Milwaukee Christian Center, met Dennis and heard his story, she knew the discussion needed to come to Milwaukee.
She tells TMJ4 that building the bridge between youth and police is a community effort.
“It takes a village,” shared Slaughter. “They need to hear it not from teachers, mom, and dad, but also law enforcement because they’re the community as well.”
Both Milwaukee police and residents say difficult conversations are the key to opening the door to collaboration and keeping peace in the city. Wednesday's discussion ranged from asking hard questions to finding similarities.
“At the end of the day, we might not agree on how to get there but we do have the same goal: peace, harmony, love, respect. Let’s continue to work with each other,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffery Norman said to the group.
Now organizers and participants are hoping to continue the conversation to keep violence and crime down in the city.
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