[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6740975,"mediaKeyId","5352652-b905800e9fc9f114de5f37dbc8f78df4","parentId",5352652,"title","Riviera Beach workshop urges collaboration, accountability between police and community","audioSeconds",1439,"startMs",3004000,"endMs",1565000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5352652-b905800e9fc9f114de5f37dbc8f78df4&start=3004&end=1565","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5352652-b905800e9fc9f114de5f37dbc8f78df4/thumbnail_3004000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6740975/Riviera-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Riviera-Beach-workshop-urges-collaboration-accountability-between-police-and-community","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6740975-ac2468a25d1fa67946b5ed4c01024de1/orig.mp4?Expires=1777251724&Signature=GXEzFh2TRDwYvGPj7F~L2Dx33UYEonFU3M6wD-glDDf4Ody~q-H1RL7q0e3wdxH7p-rnw3tl084q7RauTlMVSZFFAexobfagyMYP5fOpaHjtVe4yTjfUeUJOcwKuE20ahacXm4cZUR8OLyzPQt2X5AfoWa8c~-dvS0Ht1A9Px~3e22WPqBHR3T-5BPbMscDsiS-Xv5vWaUBj7pfv4PG9VWR9r8PseaMB3xxzc~XIKUa-qbextFbRLHUt8d~KmdQeNrs1tnsIkHwtVaFRVuFgjBBDVdn27ki9W624RbnFkN7WZuEgVhL7ULulCDY4~di0ownRsp0j0nHOIvROzJOj-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Riviera Beach, FL","date","2025-07-09T00:36:54Z","article","At a Riviera Beach community workshop, trainer Dwayne Bryant and city police leaders urged residents and officers to strengthen collaboration and accountability to improve public safety and community trust. Bryant, who trains law enforcement nationally, framed the evening around shared responsibility and local data showing enforcement patterns.

The workshop matter‑of‑factly reviewed Riviera Beach policing figures: Bryant said the department issued 6,355 citations in 2024, that 40% of contacts were written warnings and that citation recipients were disproportionately Black (66% of citations versus 33% for white residents). He also presented workforce demographics, saying the Riviera Beach Police Department is majority African American while the city population is 65.4% Black and that women made up roughly 17% of the department.

Those numbers set the tone for a discussion about accountability and leadership. Chief Michael Coleman, who joined the session, said his department reviews body‑worn camera footage and conducts investigations when officers violate policy. \"I'd rather get rid of that officer before I lose my community,\" Chief Coleman said, arguing that removing officers who have eroded trust can protect both the department and public safety.

Bryant pressed for clearer lines of communication: residents should report misconduct when they see it and police leaders should act on credible complaints, he said. He also used examples from other jurisdictions to broaden the conversation about what counts as criminal behavior, saying corruption and misconduct by public officials and judges can be as harmful as street crime.

The trainer ran a short enforcement module, showing dashcam clips in a \"roll the stop\" exercise to illustrate how officers decide whether to cite drivers. He also highlighted local programs and recommended more community events and youth services as preventive measures; Bryant cited Baltimore's investments in summer camps and extended recreation hours as an example of non‑enforcement strategies that preceded crime reductions.

Local officials said the department already holds regular public meetings and seeks to expand outreach. Major Gordon described weekly and monthly community touchpoints and invited residents to call an accountability line when they see problems. Anita Jenkins, director of Riviera Beach's Community Redevelopment Agency, and other local leaders attended and were recognized during the event.

The workshop closed with a call for continued engagement and a planned part 3 in the series to address behavioral styles and deepen collaboration. Bryant offered materials and a workbook titled Stop for residents and youth to use as conversation starters.

Bryant and local leaders emphasized that improving outcomes will require both departmental accountability and sustained community involvement rather than one or the other alone.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Riviera Beach Police Leadership Workshop July 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a Riviera Beach community workshop, trainer Dwayne Bryant and city police leaders urged residents and officers to strengthen collaboration and accountability to improve public safety and community trust.","taxTitle","Riviera Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida","taxId",68132,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6740969,"Residents debate causes of racial disparities in youth incarceration at Riviera Beach workshop",878,3776000,4654000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5352652-b905800e9fc9f114de5f37dbc8f78df4&start=3776&end=4654","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5352652-b905800e9fc9f114de5f37dbc8f78df4/thumbnail_3776000.jpg","/articles/6740969/Riviera-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Residents-debate-causes-of-racial-disparities-in-youth-incarceration-at-Riviera-Beach-workshop","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6740969-4cce905d76b574a4699d9617f805da2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1777251724&Signature=jccrPFHEtKST7Qy9OA~kEsPq12RKzopnCh~t8DhjdOf9JWXOWYmTTtVPRtMGYr1fjoS54aEs6N6o0-T6LE8rHgQgyz7HOcMxY1oYhUrCY3rTQfuF8U0ctsikOvSy-5XVNs0fn8qbndZYj4Dg2ayAH21Z-UZck3gRlnHPYuH-KDB827iLHxHzTKGk29wUO3fIYTgQpqzKKLqTi65QfLwTBRiQptJd6MZz7HzbKnQcwO2ptEyEbCZgR0vNj9kUWQKXm43VBswydWDC7UI89VlGDZvunNmglticCPZiRD3iDyjXISu1vDV8xLL8Qx06iTBJ410Q1PP86ILfHSDuTYnPdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A structured breakout at the Riviera Beach workshop asked small groups to defend alternate explanations for racial disparities in juvenile arrests, using Cook County (Chicago) statistics as a test case.

Organizers gave teams the same data: in Cook County Bryant cited, 31% of youth are white, 29% are Black and 34% are Hispanic, yet 73% of youth arrests and 87% of transfers to adult court were for Black youth. Six groups were assigned positions and each presented a short defense.

Pastor Isaac Lane, speaking for a group that emphasized family structure, said absence of fathers could reduce household structure and advocacy for children and contribute to pathways into the system. \"When you don't have a dad in the home, it's...low confidence, lack of structure and discipline,\" Lane told the room.

Another group argued the system is structurally racist and rooted in historical policies, citing the 13th Amendment's language and later criminal‑justice policies that disproportionately affected Black communities. A spokesperson for that group summarized the position as: the system and historical policy decisions continue to drive disparities.

A third group defended a counterposition — that disparities reflect differing offending rates rather than systematic bias — led by Dr. Saint Hill, who framed incarceration as a consequence of criminal behavior and an instrument of social protection. Other groups pointed to policy features (mandatory minimums, juvenile transfer policies) and socioeconomic pressures affecting single‑parent households.

Attendees questioned how policies could be changed; panelists and audience members pointed to state legislative routes and local reentry and support programs. A participant noted Palm Beach County maintains reentry programming for youth and adults and described task‑force links to services.

The breakout did not produce a consensus: presenters left the audience with competing explanations and a recognition that multiple factors — policy choices, policing practices, socioeconomic conditions and family dynamics — are all invoked in local debate. Workshop organizers said the purpose of the exercise was to surface differing viewpoints and encourage continued conversations in future sessions.","During a breakout exercise at the Riviera Beach workshop, small groups used Cook County statistics to argue competing explanations for disproportionate Black youth involvement in arrests and transfers to adult court. Positions ranged from systemic racism to family structure to policy design.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6740966,"Workshop spotlights officer mental health; trainers cite rising suicides and recommend departmental wellness",740,5777000,6517000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5352652-b905800e9fc9f114de5f37dbc8f78df4&start=5777&end=6517","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5352652-b905800e9fc9f114de5f37dbc8f78df4/thumbnail_5777000.jpg","/articles/6740966/Riviera-Beach/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Workshop-spotlights-officer-mental-health-trainers-cite-rising-suicides-and-recommend-departmental-wellness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6740966-21c14eb39d8f4080282ede1debcdc617/orig.mp4?Expires=1777251724&Signature=YOyYO3YmpVXu6di-LXkvFGldCMIIk841ZsDmeuxB14K-hrsOdl8U6VdAY3UDYqSgt8pHbHkrTlpoyFuVIGqBr3Dc8KKEkO3lFL0RdIvk6-uk5e~vdDM7s-~3eN07vsjDOjI9e4k8D6xc47S4UnWp9tPlRZdiWWXOU3h3r3FA9RT7mnCAaXY2xEw3b~~A~uOzC9q1X9lbyKleXQgM3rcOPtX-vlsHCPqJO0Y6skuH1soIhUfDfj90ODJ~vGCIwvpvChXka4VqwZHokLHVh5YNdTqkSrtaZwA26ln0V2kRIoOlWUYEKkxtSMq~lD4gbVi4LL-wjBDLIvRF2kj5EeqwdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A sustained segment of the Riviera Beach workshop focused on officer mental health and wellness, with trainers and officers describing mounting stress, barriers to help‑seeking and concrete steps departments can take to support personnel.

Dwayne Bryant posed a true/false question and then reported the finding: more police officers die by suicide than in the line of duty. The presentation cited year‑to‑year increases and emphasized that officers routinely face dozens to hundreds of traumatic incidents over a career; workshop participants described compounding effects of repeated exposure to violent calls.

Officers and retired officers described practical workplace stressors: repeated traumatic calls, limited time to debrief, long shifts and short sleep windows. A retired officer said first‑responder experiences can be repeatedly relived and that personnel often compartmentalize to continue working. A workshop participant with field experience said many officers lack routine workplace wellness checks and would benefit from end‑of‑shift debriefs and peer support conversations.

Speakers listed physiological pathways linking chronic stress to health risks, including sustained cortisol and adrenaline responses that increase blood pressure, immune suppression and risk of anxiety or depression. Recommended interventions included peer‑support groups, a departmental well‑being unit or dedicated wellness staff, routine debriefing after high‑trauma calls, sleep hygiene practices (the trainer referenced a 3–2–1 routine), hydration, exercise, breathing exercises, and opportunities for positive community reinforcement.

Participants also raised a common barrier: officers worry that seeking mental‑health help will be recorded as unfit for duty. A workshop speaker said many officers hide mental‑health struggles for fear that disclosure could affect their careers. Trainers and local leaders said addressing that barrier requires policy changes and confidential support options that preserve fitness‑for‑duty standards while offering care.

Major Gordon and local officials said Riviera Beach organizes regular public meetings and stressed the department wants to develop leaders and wellness initiatives; Major Gordon invited residents to help shape those efforts. The session concluded with practice breathing exercises and a recommendation that community members offer occasional positive reinforcement to officers (encourage, praise, recognize) to help offset negative public encounters.","Trainer Dwayne Bryant and Riviera Beach officers addressed officer wellness, citing data that more officers die by suicide than in the line of duty and recommending peer support, sleep hygiene and departmental wellness programs. Participants described stressors, barriers to seeking help and specific local steps departments can take.","actionData","errors"]

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Riviera Beach workshop urges collaboration, accountability between police and community

Residents debate causes of racial disparities in youth incarceration at Riviera Beach workshop

Workshop spotlights officer mental health; trainers cite rising suicides and recommend departmental wellness