Dallas (WBAP/KLIF News) – US Attorney General Loretta Lynch is in Dallas to kick off National Community Policing Week. She talked with a group of students at Dallas’ Sunset High School, about what their role is in keeping their community safe.
Lynch said social media is making it easier for citizens to understand what police officers actually do on a daily basis. She specifically mentioned the role the LAPD’s social media outreach program is doing teaching citizens about the day-to-day life of cops.
“So little of it is actually running after someone, and arresting someone,” said Lynch. “Much of it is helping someone who’s lost. Helping someone who has a problem, someone who’s been in an accident; reassuring someone who’s been in that situation, or getting someone to the hospital.”
The 21st Century Community Policing Youth Forum at Sunset HS was designed to help bolster trust between students and law enforcement. It featured Dallas Cowboys Jason Witten and Barry Church, along with police academy cadets and students.
“Members of the community realizing the police are part of the community, and members of the police realizing that the people are part of the community,” is how Paul Quinn College Pre-law major Kevin Lee defined Community Oriented Policing. “We all are part of the community, and without one another, we would not be successful.”
Lynch announced a $119 million community policing grant program…$2 million of that will go to Dallas. Lynch said that would be enough to hire 25 new officers. She will be at Tuesday’s National Night Out festivities at the University of North Texas.
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