WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) – Dozens of community leaders in Waterbury sat down with police. The goal is to strengthen relationships.
M. Quentin Williams created the group Dedication 2 Community after years in law enforcement and concerns about how cops treat certain communities.
“How do we bridge that gap, bring both parties together. Those who are serving and those who are being served,” Williams said.
He and his colleague have been working on that with the Waterbury Police Department this week. It’s something they do all over the country.
“No matter what city we’re in, the community needs to be able to trust their police department. We build that trust by starting to build relationships,” said Kim Varner Sr., Senior Instructor for Dedication 2 Community.
“Officers are looking forward to it in the community. It’s a collaboration to learn more about how we can build trust,” said Lt. Ryan Bessette, Waterbury Police Department.
Now, it’s one thing to train the police, but they say it’s also important to get community members involved in a situation like this because the community needs training too.
“We bring these parties together in session so that they can hear each other’s stories and grow empathy for each other,” Williams said.
That’s why they invited dozens of community leaders to join them at Post University for a day of training. Some already know the benefits of working with police.
“We’ve had such a great experience with community police officers that joined our neighborhood association, and we’ve had quite a few over the years. We’ve had fantastic experiences,” said Charlie Coretto, President of Bouley Manor Neighborhood Association.
In the wake of high-profile deaths at the hands of police and protesters marching in the streets, those relationships have never been more important, and they help keep everyone safe.