Student aims to improve police and community relationship
In cities across America citizen and police officers struggle with strained relationships, especially considering the rash of police brutality and violence on American streets being covered by the media in the last few years. High school students have been trying to make small changes in their areas in hopes of building it into national policies. From places like Chicago, Illinois, Reno, Texas, Baltimore, Maryland, Riots, American youth have taken action from full on protests to conversations with their local police departments.
On April 14, 2015 protesters in many U.S cities blocked major roadways in hopes of spreading awareness about police brutality. One hundred students in Madison, Wisconsin, mostly high schoolers, blocked a major a roadway in an attempt to capture the attention of people and educate them on the innocent shooting of Tony Robinson Jr, 19 years old, by police officer Matt Kenny. Students are standing up for what they believe in.
A high school senior attending Naugatuck High School was influenced by these problems she observed in her own community. She took action by coming up with a solution for the conflicts between officers and society.
She recommended that new recruited police officers should take the first 6 months of patrol only by foot.This will encourage relationship building between officers and bystanders. Also, the officers will understand the surroundings around them so they can get idea of their location of the town, and understand the issues in community the people face. She hopes that this will spread awareness about the conflicts happening with police officers while trying to change the way they cooperate.
Her Civics Action Project at Naugatuck High will give an opportunity to spread awareness and give a voice to her policy suggestion for the police departments of Connecticut. Support for her project will make it stand out to decision maker’s of society.
The project is currently being set into motion. The support for the project will encourage the word to get around and hopefully make this endeavor a reality.
The following website has an online survey to collect information about the topic which is still open to the public:
