The Community-Police Relations (CPR) project held the final 2013 neighborhood forums for the Latino and LGBTQ communities. Both forums were well-attended, thanks to hard work by the CPR outreach team.
On behalf of [Tennessee Equality Project] Shelby County Committee, I want to thank you for including us in the CPR forum and for working with the greater GLBT community of Memphis and Shelby County to encourage the first step to better relations between law enforcement and citizenry. It was an amazing night, and we know that understanding was seeded. With a gratitude-
-Anne Brownlee Gullick
Read Paul Crum’s article to learn more about participants’ experiences at the LGBTQ forum. We look forward to continuing our work in other communities in 2014.
Sharing Stories, Building Trust
Improving community-police relations is a slow process that has begun with sharing stories. Our partner, Playback Memphis, an improvisational theatre ensemble, has allowed the stories not only to be heard, but to be seen. Through this process, community members have reflected on how they have felt treated unfairly by law enforcement. Those working in law enforcement have shared their own stories, sparking conversations that have helped community members understand their professional roles, and have begun to humanize law enforcement officers in some community members’ eyes.
We all acknowledge this work is challenging, but the benefit of this relationship-building process to our community as a whole will lead to real reconciliation.
LGBTQ Community Finds Opportunity to Speak Openly to Police
“There was no resistance from my congregation at all to this event,” Tucker claimed. “We were thrilled that the police department wanted to have this kind of dialogue, and that we could play a part in making that happen.”
As a crowd of about 50 participants filtered into the warmth of the South Highland Street church on a chilly Tuesday evening, the mood was mostly somber. A few munched on sandwiches and refreshments offered in the rear of the church, but most quietly took their place in a pew, not sure of what the evening held in store.
Just after 6 p.m., Lt. Mike Embrey of the Memphis Police Department stood up to face the group along side Ellyhanna Hall, his transgender co-facilitator.
“What is shared here is not shared with other officers,” Embrey assured the audience, stressing that their remarks would be held in confidence.
This Week in “Good Blue”
Each week The Tri-State Defender takes you inside the professional and personal lines of Memphis and Shelby County Police Officers. You will find that they live, laugh and cry just like you. It is our intention to present these never before told stories and interviews in their most simple form. Just as a neighborhood should not be judged or labeled by the actions of a few, a Police Department is not made up of the few bad apples that break the law and have to be held accountable for their actions. We are prepared to present stories and interviews of these officers until the entire community realizes that the only difference between them and Police Officers is the law. Starting out I believe that we all can at least foundationally agree that this is the way it was meant to be from the beginning.
CPR-Media Team
Kelvin Cowans, Tri State Defender
Sergeant John Garcia
Created on Thursday, 14 November 2013 14:32
Written by Tri-State Defender
Sergeant John Garcia of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) has been serving the Memphis community for sixteen years. He is the first Latin American to achieve the rank of sergeant in the 150-year history of the SCSO and that makes him proud.
When you add Garcia’s 21 years of service in the U.S. Navy, the fact that he is the Spanish training instructor for the SCSO, part-time criminal justice instructor at Remington College, Nonconnah Blvd, a certified hostage negotiator and has been a Little League baseball coach in the Bartlett-Ellendale community, well, then the entire community becomes proud.
Originally from Queens, New York, Garcia fills his spare time with “lots of stuff,” but mostly spending time with his wife and son. Season ticket holders, it’s a family of Grizz lovers.
You can read the complete article by Kelvin Cowans HERE.
For more information on the Community-Police Relations project, contact
Melissa Miller-Monie, Organizing Coordinator
Email: melissa@midsouthpeace.org
Phone: 901-725-4990