NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- After a year of
violence in Portland and following
a high profile shooting in Pasquotank
County, North Carolina, the 501 (c)(3) organization
Police2Peace was called in by leaders in these diverse communities
to aid in efforts to unite, uplift, and heal them. Both are
seeking grassroots solutions at the community level to systemic
community/police tensions and mistrust.
After a year of violence in Portland and following a high profile shooting
in NC, Police2Peace was called in by leaders
The Portland Peace Initiative launched on Sept 21, 2021, led by the Portland-based Interfaith Peace and Action
Collaborative (IPAC). The Pasquotank County Peace Initiative began
October 1. While very different
in size and geography, the two communities are committed to
implementing new paradigms toward healing.
"There is a recognition that beyond merely addressing the
problems at hand, it is time to invest in long-term programs,
solutions and strategies to heal our communities," said
Police2Peace founder and executive director Lisa Broderick. "We're honored to have been
selected to partner with these communities on both the urban and
rural ends of the community spectrum."
The Initiatives consist of grassroots, professionally moderated
listening sessions with community members. The intention is to tap
the wisdom of the community about public safety and how they want
to be served by the police so public safety is reimagined
within and amid communities of color and other
underrepresented groups. They are expected to last several
months.
"More than ever, we need to understand how we can bring peace to
the community," says Rev. Dr. J. W. Matt
Hennessee, Senior Pastor of Portland's Vancouver Avenue First Baptist
Church. "A welcome step in this journey is partnering with
Police2Peace, a purpose-driven organization that was founded to
help communities like ours understand the underlying dynamics that
led to our current situation."
In Pasquotank County, NC,
County Manager Sparty Hammett adds,
"Police2Peace offers an approach that we are looking forward to
putting into motion in our community. Their micro-community
listening sessions are about giving community members a voice as a
first step to building trust and confidence in the sheriff's
office."
Police2Peace addresses community dissatisfaction with the police
by bringing these two parties together to create "Peace Officers"
for culture change that is fundamental to police reform and unites
them with their communities. It is a trusted source of
programs and policies for positive change in policing for
departments, municipalities and communities throughout the U.S.
Visit https://police2peace.com/
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content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-tale-of-two-cities-police2peace-called-to-uplift-and-heal-portland-oregon-and-pasquotank-county-north-carolina-301420073.html
SOURCE Police2Peace