Philadelphia, PA, February 20, 2018 … The Anti-Defamation League (“ADL”), in partnership with the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA and the Philadelphia Police Department, last week brought together Philadelphia teens and police officers for a new initiative designed to improve police-community relations in the region. The program, entitled Courageous Conversations Between Cops and Kids, aims to build bridges of understanding between law enforcement and local youth, in order to make our communities safer, stronger, and more inclusive.
“Strong relationships between police and teens are essential to the security and well-being of our communities,” said Jeremy Bannett, ADL Associate Regional Director. “Courageous Conversations is a step towards building increased trust between law enforcement and young people in our region.”
“As the nation’s leading civil rights organization and largest nongovernmental trainer of law enforcement, ADL is uniquely positioned to help bridge divides between these two groups, and to make our communities safer for everyone,” said Randi Boyette, ADL Senior Associate Regional Director, Education. “We thank the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA and the Philadelphia Police Department for partnering with ADL on this innovative new program.”
The program began with separate implicit bias trainings for the teen and law enforcement participants. Middle- and high-school students from the Christian Street YMCA and the West Philadelphia YMCA met with ADL facilitators on Sunday, February 11, where they learned about concepts such as stereotyping and discrimination, shared their experiences with law enforcement in their community, and envisioned their ideal relationships with police.
“Every day, the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA works to strengthen our communities,” said Mary Frances Reilly, Diversity, Inclusion, Global Engagement and Community Executive at the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA. “Courageous Conversations provided a powerful opportunity for our teens to build relationships with the officers who work in their communities. We were struck by the honesty and seriousness of our teens, and their sincerity in trying to improve their interactions with law enforcement.”
On Tuesday, February 13, Philadelphia Police officers from the South Division met with ADL facilitators to learn about managing implicit bias, share their experiences policing in the community, and envision their ideal relationships with the young people they protect and serve.
“The Philadelphia Police Department is committed to protecting and serving everyone in Philadelphia,” said Deputy Commissioner Joseph Sullivan, Philadelphia Police Department. “We cannot keep our communities safe and secure without healthy police-community relations. Courageous Conversations helped our officers better understand their interactions with young people, and develop closer ties to the teens in the neighborhoods they serve.”
On Thursday, February 15, Philadelphia teens met with police officers for a conversation led by professional ADL facilitators. The participants discussed stereotypes about police and young people, shared their respective experiences interacting with law enforcement and teens, and explored ways to break down barriers between police and teens in the communities they serve.
To learn more about ADL’s work in education, visit https://www.adl.org/education, and to learn more about ADL’s work with law enforcement, visit https://www.adl.org/combating-hate.
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The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 “to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Today it is the world’s leading organization combating bigotry, exposing hate groups, training law enforcement on hate crimes, developing anti-bias curricula for students, countering cyber-hate and relentlessly pursuing equal rights for all. Twitter: @ADLPhiladelphia
Throughout the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA serves more than 200,000 individuals a year – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in 21 YMCA locations throughout Berks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Pike, Burlington and Camden counties, the Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise but to deliver, lasting personal and social change.
The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) is the nation’s fourth largest police department, with over 6300 sworn members and 800 civilian personnel. The PPD is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for serving Philadelphia County, extending over 140 square-miles in which approximately 1.5 million reside.