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County police launch "Community Conversations" to build dialogue with residents
Summary
Baltimore County police and diversity staff announced a six-week in-person "Community Conversations" pilot beginning Oct. 16 aimed at facilitated dialogue between officers and residents; sessions will run Thursdays 68 p.m., are limited to about 30 participants and require an 18+ age minimum and background checks for HQ visits.
Mark Bell, the department—s chief diversity officer, invited board members to a new six-week pilot called "Community Conversations," planned for Oct. 16Nov. 20 and scheduled Thursday evenings 68 p.m. "We created a 6 week program called community conversations," Bell said, adding the program is designed to "capture the people behind the badge" and surface residents' perspectives alongside officer experiences.
Bell said the program differs from the Citizens Partnership Academy by focusing on facilitated dialogue rather than organizational instruction. He described topics that will include "implicit bias by proxy," the evolution of policing, academy training and how training applies on the street, and panels featuring recent academy graduates and patrol officers.
Board members asked logistical questions. Bell said the pilot will be in-person, limited to about 30 participants for the fall run, and that participants must be at least 18; attendees coming to headquarters will undergo a background check. "Right now, because it's the first time we're running this, I'm gonna keep it at about 30," he said, and confirmed "18 minimum." He also said the department plans to run the program in the fall and again in spring alongside the Citizens Partnership Academy.
Bell described facilitator and panel selections: academy staff and internal facilitators will run the sessions; Bell said he will lead the first and last sessions and that police members (including the chief and internal-affairs staff) will be on panel discussions. "I'm gonna do the first day, and I'll do the last day, which is a facilitated panel discussion with chief being a member," he said.
Next steps: flyers will be circulated and staff offered to bring the program to community groups. Board members asked for the registration form and electronic copies; Bell said he would provide them.
