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A spirit that is not afraid

Annual event looks to foster relationship between community and law enforcement

“It’s an opportunity for us to interact with the community and let everyone know that we’re not the bad guys,” said Assistant Chief of Police Will Mathews. “We’re approachable; we don’t mind people asking us questions.”

<p>Members of the public speak with local law enforcement officers during the Together We Can event on Teusday, Sept. 4, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.</p>

Members of the public speak with local law enforcement officers during the Together We Can event on Teusday, Sept. 4, 2018, in Auburn, Ala.

On Tuesday evening, Auburn University’s Cross-Cultural Center for Excellence teamed up with the Auburn Police Division for the third-annual Together We Can Event in hopes of gaining a better understanding and relationship between the Auburn community and the ones trusted to protect it. 

“I think a relationship is fostered every time we come in contact with somebody,” said William Pierson, Auburn's police chief. “Every time you interact with a police officer and it’s a positive experience, that’s going to build that trust that you have, and that’s what we want.” 

The fostering of a relationship is exactly what Jade Kinney wants. Kinney, a doctoral student in counseling psychology, has been responsible for organizing the event for the last three years. After noticing the media portrayal of police shootings throughout the country, Kinney found a need to ensure that the Auburn community felt safe in the hands of its protectors. 

“We want to make sure we build positive relationships with our law enforcement here because this is a college town,” Kinney said. “We have a lot of students here, and they want to know they’re safe, but they also need to know their local enforcement.” 

Local officers represented the Auburn Police Division at the two-hour event held in the Student Center Ballroom. Students, community members and law enforcement had the chance to engage with one another in casual conversation over Jim 'N Nick’s as well as in a formal question-and-answer session with the law enforcement in attendance. 

“It’s an opportunity for us to interact with the community and let everyone know that we’re not the bad guys,” said Assistant Chief of Police Will Mathews. “We’re approachable, we don’t mind people asking us questions.”

Questions this year included methodology, training for specific situations like dealing with citizens with mental-health issues, dealing with undocumented citizens and how law enforcement views itself within the community.

All of the questions and concerns were answered by the officers who gave details on the new de-escalation and crisis-identification training for dealing with citizens with mental health issues as well as the criteria for handling situations with undocumented citizens. 

With regard to the relationship between community and officers, Pierson said the members of law enforcement don’t just work for the community, but they also belong to the community, whether that’s through youth coaching, mentoring or attending events such as this one. 

“It definitely shows that police officers want to be involved and build relationships with students and community members, so I think that’s really important for them to show up and be here and be ready and available for everyone,” Kinney said. 

However, the event isn’t only for the community members to gain a better understanding; it’s equally as important for the officers, Kinney said. 

“We’re not perfect,” Pierson said. “We try to learn from our mistakes to get better, so we appreciate the feedback.” 


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