Justice For All: Local Organization Working To Bridge Divide Between Police And Communities

Janelle Burrell reports.

ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYSTHAT THEY DO HAVE ENOUGHOFFICERS TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCYCALLS.AND EYEWITNESS NEWS ISWORKING TO BRING YOU STORIESCOMMITTED TO HELPING OURCOMMUNITY HEAL AND GROW WITH THEISSUES NOW AT THE FOREFRONT.IT'S CALLED JUSTICE FOR ALL.AT A TIME WHEN THERE'S OFTENTENSION BETWEEN POLICE ANDCOMMUNITIES, THERE IS ONE LOCALORGANIZATION THAT IS WORKING TOBRIDGE THE DIVIDE BETWEEN POLICEAND THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE.IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, THOSEARE ACTUALLY POLICE OFFICERSMIXED IN WITH THIS GROUP OFPHILADELPHIA TEEN-AGERS, ANDTHEY'RE TOGETHER BY CHOICE.WE FOCUS ON ENGAGING YOUNGPEOPLE AND THE POLICE, BECAUSEWE KNOW THAT THOSE SMALLERINTERACTIONS LEAD US TO BIGGERTHINGS.KEN TODAY VAN DE WATER ANDJAMES A ARE THE CO-FOUNDERS OFTHE ORGANIZATION CALLED YOUTHEMPOWERMENT OF ADVANCEMENT HANGOUT ALSO KNOWN AS YEAH PHILLY INWEST AND SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIAAND ONE MISSION IS BRIDGING THEDIVIDE BETWEEN POLICE AND THECOMMUNITIES THEY SERVE.WE KNOW THERE'S SOME AWESOMECOMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICERSTHAT HAS A GOOD RAPPORT WITH THECOMMUNITY.BUT WE DON'T TARGET THOSEOFFICERS.WE WANT THE OFFICERS THATSTRUGGLE WITH ENGAGING WITHYOUNG PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY, MORETHAN LIKELY DON'T LIVE IN THECITY.WE WANT TO FOCUS ON GIVING THISEXPERIENCE TO THEM SO THEY CANLEARN FROM IT AND BETTER POLICETHE COMMUNITY.AND IT ALSO GIVES TEENS ANDOFFICERS THE CHANCE TO HAVE VERYHARD AND VERY HONESTCONVERSATIONS.DURING THE RECENT PROTESTSAND UNREST IN THE CITY, THOSEDIALOGUES HAVE BEEN VIRTUAL ANDEVEN MORE VITAL.GIVEN WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON,WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATIONS HAVEYOU BEEN HAVING WITH THE KIDS INYOUR PROGRAM?THEY JUST HAVE A LOT OFINTEREST IN THE OFFICERS'PERSPECTIVES BUT ALSO THEY'REANGRY.IT'S TRAUMATIZING TO STARTOUT WITH.IN SOME SENSES IT'S GIVEN THEM ASENSE OF HOPELESSNESS THAT THEREWILL BE ANY CHANGE BUT WE'VEBEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS TOCHANGE THAT NARRATIVE.THE MOST RECENT ONE WE HADWAS A THREE-HOUR LONG VIDEODISCUSSION WITH A LOT OF OURTEEN-AGERS AND SOME OF THEOFFICERS AND JUST GETTINGDIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, AND THETEENS HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONSAROUND, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU, ASONE PERSON, HOW DO YOU MAKE ITSO YOU CAN CHANGE THINGS WITHINTHE SYSTEM.Reporter: THEY RECOGNIZE ALOT WILL HAVE TO CHANGE TO MENDTHE FRACTURED RELATIONSHIPBETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANDTHEIR COMMUNITIES.BUT THEY ARE HOPEFUL.AND BELIEVE REDIRECTING THENARRATIVE STARTS RIGHT HERE.HAVING THOSE REALPARTNERSHIPS WITH PEOPLE ON THEGROUND AND HAVING ACTION STEPS,AND HAVING OVERSIGHT ANDENFORCEMENT, THAT'S THE ONLY WAYTHAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN STOPHAVING THESE SAME CONVERSATIONSAND CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD ANDACTUALLY SEE SOME IMPACTS ♪AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS JUSTSO CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY RIGHTNOW.KENDRA VAN DE WATER, SHE HAS ABACKGROUND IN LAW ENFORCEMENTTRAINING AND POLICYIMPLEMENTATION.SO SHE WORKS CLOSELY WITH THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT TO TAKE WHATTHEYS GET THOSE SESSIONS WITHTHE TEENS AND APPLY IT TO HOWTHE OFFICERS ARE TRAINED.THEY SAY A LOT OF KIDS IN THEPROGRAM HAVE HAD NEGATIVEINTERACTIONS WITH POLICE IN THEPAST SO CHANGING HOW THEY VIEW