Social group seeks to heal community relationships with police
(CBS DETROIT) - The death of Tyre Nichols, along with several other similar cases recently, is once again shining the spotlight on the need for police reform.
Reverend Markel Hutchins is the CEO of Movement Forward, Inc. The social change organization is working in partnership with law enforcement agencies. The group prides itself on working to protect, promote and advance the civil and human rights of all people.
"The truth of the matter is that no one is winning in the current environment that we're in. So many law-enforcement-involved tragedies are happening that should not be happening, and changes in policies and procedures alone won't fix that," Hutchins said.
The argument that policies need to change often comes back to the surface when these unfortunate situations occur. Hutchins says, simply put, that's not enough.
"We need something more substantive than changes in policies. We need a change in culture. We need a change in the relationship agencies in the community they serve. We need law-enforcement officers to engage with the community in such a way that the community and law enforcement begin to see the humanity in one another"
Movement Forward is starting a new initiative that seeks to bridge the gap between police and their respective communities. The plan is to start a nationwide conversation and build rapport in the process.
The organization and its partners will be launching The Law Enforcement, Community Engagement Network. It will allow officers to connect with locals in a positive way. The program is set to start in May.