Colorado Springs Police are calling for a conversation with the community and they want to hear from you! It’s all part of a project meant to establish more trust between our law enforcement and citizens.
This is the second "Illumination Project" aimed at starting a community dialogue between our police officers and the community. Organizers tell us they want to be proactive and learn what changes you’d like to see.
The Illumination Project was based on work done in the Charleston community after the tragic 2015 church shooting that left 9 people dead.
"A lot of times we wait until a tragedy occurs or a crisis occurs," explained Dr. George Houston with the Center for Creative Leadership."This is a way for us as a community to get out in front, to have the kind of dialogue, conversations that we need to be having with each other to create a better understanding, better trust."
Our local leaders started the discussion about hosting these workshops in our area over a year ago. Now thanks to the Center for Creative leadership, Colorado Springs Police and Mayor John Suthers, they’re hoping to be a step ahead and hear whats on your mind.
Some of the big topics in their first session included youth programs and training for our Police Officers.
"The goal is not just to listen to the citizens and not just for the citizens to understand the Police perspective," said Commander Adrian Vasquez with the Colorado Springs Police Department. "It’s to establish these action items, things that we can do as a community as a whole and then take them on as short and long term goals."
If you want to share your thoughts come out to the Southeast YMCA at 5:30 p.m. The address is 2190 Jet Wing Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80916.
This is only the first of many of these workshops. If you’re interested in hosting one of these workshops in your area contact The Center for Creative Leadership at (719) 633-3891.
