Partnership Project
PRESENCE-PARTNERSHIP-PROGRESS
Through the Illumination Project, the City of Charleston experienced a new level of police-community dialogue through its listening sessions that generated many positive recommendations. It is this very ‘talking’ process that has equipped us for our progression to a new ‘walking’ process. So, what is our next step?
The Partnership Project
A new process of community-police engagement to build trust through
presence, partnership, and shared progress.
PRESENCE
Police-Chaplain teams will walk neighborhoods together as a presence that affirms the dignity and safety of community members through grassroots-level community engagement and interaction. This new form of “police presence” in selected communities will become our “peace presence,” as chaplains walk alongside police.
The unique presence of a chaplain walking alongside a police officer, changes the dynamic of the interaction. These unique non-enforcement interactions dissipate fear, balance the power differential, and promote peace. As police and chaplains together engage with community members, these interactions shift to experiences that affirm dignity, preserve self-worth, and promote security and trust.
PARTNERSHIP
Police-Chaplain teams will cultivate partnerships between community and police that are rooted in trust, transparent communication, and the seeking of common ground.
Police officers are our peace officers. They are servants for the peace of our community. Through the engagement of Police-Chaplain Teams, our police will deepen their community partnership through consistent positive trust building interactions
Police-Chaplain Teams
Presence leads to partnership, and partnership leads to progress.
A community engaged in embracing its challenges and values is empowered to create progress through partnership.
Please let us know your thoughts on how the Charleston community and police department can deepen their relationship and partner for progress: https://forms.gle/SxTcZS66pr5h9qSA9
