Tucson’s youth opens up a dialogue with Tucson Police Department

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TUCSON, Arizona (KOLD News 13) – Tonight, members of the Tucson Youth and Tucson Police Department came together for an open dialogue on racism and police brutality as calls for police reform come to the fore.

Lance Meeks of the Goodwill REC Youth Center said the goal of the youth-TPD meetings is to listen, share ideas and educate. “Here we have law enforcement officials who say, ‘You know what, we’re not perfect, we know there is frustration, that there is anger and that there is misunderstanding, that’s open and honest,” he says.

These meetings give the youngsters the opportunity to ask questions to the head of TPD, Chris Magnus. “Do I know it’s a problem? Yeah, I’m not sure if the relationship between the police and the youth has ever been this great, ”he said.

Lance tells me that as a person of color he understands why people lose trust in the police, but he asks these people to be open minded and understand that there is no such thing as a perfect system. “If I drive a car as a black man, there is a risk that one wrong interaction could end my life, but I am hopeful and empowered to make change,” he said.

That the best way to move forward is to have open dialogues and ensure that the community holds the police accountable for these actions.

Copyright 2021 KOLD News 13. All rights reserved.

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