Program works to strengthen bonds between police, community
MIAMI - The Big Brothers Big Sisters in Blue Program is partnering up with another organization to strengthen bonds between law enforcement and the community.
CBS4 was at the announcement Wednesday and talked to a mentee who explained why this is badly needed.
"I was told that they were bad, that they would take you to jail for no reason," Kalya Andrews, an 8th grader said.
That's hard to imagine now, but Andrews at one point lived in a neighborhood with shootings, and that was a common perception. But that's changed since she met Officer Shamira Abbot, her mentor.
"Like being around her it was good, and over time it just got better, and I learned that they were nice," she said.
Now a new partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami and Dedication to Community aims to not only match young people like Andrews with law enforcement personnel but work with their families too.
"You have parents that say hey, don't talk to the officer or they'll bring the kid up to you. John John's being bad now she wants me to make him feel like I'm the bad guy," an officer said of things she heard on the job.
That's why D2C is taking a different approach, by training officers in more soft human skills to be more aware of cultural perceptions and differences of opinions.
"It's better to get to know us, talk to us find out things that we have going on because it's not all handcuffs and jail," Officer Abbott said.
D2C trains officers to become mentors, then, through Big Brothers Big Sisters they're matched with students. The goal is for police and the community to feel more at ease working together.
"We come from the streets, we were those kids, and we were law enforcement." M Quentin Williams said.
Williams is a former FBI agent, and federal prosecutor, he founded D2C, he's hoping this is the bridge that ultimately builds trust.
"So now for example, when you go into a community and that community doesn't trust the police department, that's tension and a lot of bad things can happen, but now through this partnership, Bigs in Blue and Dedication to Community that community can say wait a minute, that's officer Nelson," Gale Nelson, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami Pres. and CEO.
Bigs in Blue started out in neighborhoods with statistically high crime, but it's for all areas.
"Our goal is to build trust get to healing, reconciliation, and ultimately so that Tyre Nichols doesn't happen," Williams said.
Now after 2 years of working with Officer Abbott, Andrews' thinking has shifted quite a bit.
"I was scared because my mom was telling me this is a dangerous job but seeing what they do, it's inspired me to become it," she said.
She's seen how much of an impact officers can have and has realized, it's one way to be involved in making a difference.
