THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9410130533
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN E. QUINONES MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
Community organizers in Hampton Roads met with law enforcement officials from around the country Wednesday to discuss building a better relationship between police and citizens.
``We're hoping to get more information on how our agency can help neighborhoods organize themselves to solve their problems,'' said Tyrone Session, a counselor with the Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project, a community action program.
Session was among the 85 participants of the Community-Police Partnership Workshop held at the Omni International Hotel to exchange ideas about community policing - the concept of a partnership between the police and community members to eradicate crime.
``There's a feeling of distrust for police among certain members of the community,'' Session said. ``We want to do anything we can to restore the trust and build on a partnership.''
Seminar topics included: ``mobilizing residents and community agencies to address problems related to crime,'' ``violence and drugs,'' ``overcoming political obstacles in implementing community policing initiatives'' and ``community policing in small and rural jurisdictions.''
The conference, which started Tuesday and will end today, was sponsored by the National Crime Prevention Council - the national nonprofit organization that produces the Take A Bite Out of Crime public service announcements.
Presenters at the conference included Norfolk Assistant City Manager George Crawley, who is on crime prevention council's board of directors, Norfolk Police Chief Melvin C. High and Lt. Susan Mowry of the Newport News Police Department. by CNB