By Deon C. Jefferson
Law enforcement has been a major issue in our country. The Black community has experienced far too many deaths due to policy brutality and nonprofessional leaders of influence.
According to a September 2020 article from CBS.com, police have killed one hundred and sixty-four Black people in the beginning eight months of 2020.
In Palm Beach County, there are several organizations that joined together this past weekend at The Arts Garage in Delray Beach to have a conversation on implicit bias, defunding the police, and community policing.
Guests were also tasked with the question by Moderator Kenya Madison who serves as the Senior Director of Healthier Delray Beach, “What happens when life gives you lemons”.
The event was a collaboration between Delray Police Department, The EJS Project, and the Arts Garage.
“Ensuring Public Safety”, is the main ingredient to the core values of the Delray Beach Police Department. They go by the name T.E.A.M Delray, which affectionately stands for Trust,
Engagement, Accountability, and Mindfulness. The EJS Project is a 501(C)3 non profit organization that is committed to serving the teens in and around the Delray Beach community.
When it comes to the Arts Garage, bringing local emerging artists and established global artists into their Delray Beach center is a normal part of their regular programming. Due to their programming efforts, they were named Best Gallery in Delray Beach two years in a row.
This event was hosted by Ike Powell III, Senior Program Specialist in the Outreach and Community Programming Division of Palm Beach County Youth Services Department. Elizabeth Burrows, full time economic development professional and emerging entrepreneur, speaker and personal development coach served as the events facilitator.
After the group of nearly sixty people were done with their group sessions, the moderator set
the tone before the panel discussion. It was much needed, considering the topics and the transparency that was about to fill the room.
“This is an opportunity for everyone in this room and for everyone that is online with us to have an open real live dialogue”, said Madison. “We are so happy to have this safe space to have this time with our youth, the community, and our law enforcement. We want to make sure Delray Beach is a city where everyone feels comfortable”.
The panel was led by Sgt. Casey Kelly of the Delray Police Department, six-teen year old Delray Beach resident, Liz Marie, nineteen year old Lindsey Wilson of the EJS Project,
and Lt. Danilela Quinn who has worked for the police department for fifteen years.
Policing the community seemed to be an overall tone for the discussion. One of the most talked about questions came when they asked the police officers their opinions after listening to what the youth had to say. “I think our talk was very beneficial” said Sgt. Kelly. “We think that getting to know police officers before a problem arises in the community would be beneficial for everyone. Nine times out of ten, we have to show up and control the situation, we don’t really have time for them to get to know us. We may have the same life experiences or backgrounds, but because of my skin, they treat us differently. If they know us in the community before something happens, it will be more helpful to address an issue once it needs to be addressed.”
We applaud the event for letting the youth of Delray speak their truths. It’s not every day that law enforcement and youth get an opportunity to have a mutual exchange. Kudos to the city of Delray Beach for keeping the community actively involved and engaged. Let us remember the words of American historian and writer Mary Frances Berry, “ When you have police officers who abuse citizens, you erode public confidence in law enforcement. That makes the job of good police officers unsafe”.
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