(CBS-DETROIT) – The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office hopes to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community.
It organizes events aimed at breaking down barriers and misconceptions about policing.
A simulator that uses virtual reality has been set up in the gym at the Clarkston United Methodist Church. Users act as an Oakland County sheriff’s deputy called in to check if someone is drinking alcohol outside a gas station.
“Each time, our goal is to de-escalate this and come to a peaceful resolution,” said Lt. Tim Willis of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
That’s just one example of what you can expect at a community policing and education event.
“There are a lot of things that the community can learn from law enforcement. There are a lot of things that law enforcement can learn from the community,” said Darryl Woods with the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan.
And that is the goal: a robust dialogue between law enforcement and the public.
‘Which is crucial [is] that the community has an interest in how we police our communities. Their voices matter,” Woods said.
Panel discussions, Narcan distribution and comfort dogs are all part of the event.
“We’re happy to change our policies or tactics or whatever to better suit the community. Sometimes we just do things because that’s the way we’ve done it, and we need to, you know, get educated. And sometimes, we just do it because it’s well thought out, well researched, well practiced and we need to educate the public about that,” Willis said.
Their mission is to better understand and restore trust.
The sheriff’s office plans to bring more of these events to cities across the county.
It is a free event, registration is not required and everyone is welcome.
