ROOT Background

·        ROOT (Residents and Officers:  Operation Team-up) came out of discussions that HART leaders were having about the tense relationship between police officers and residents

·        Leaders wanted find a way to open up the lines of communication between officers and residents and at the same time create a place where some of the tough issues could be discussed (issues like stereotypes, race, class and others)

·        HART leaders got together and created a curriculum for a “conversation with police officers which would give both residents and officers the opportunity to talk about some of their assumptions about each other, their expectations and how to improve the relationship between cops and residents

·        Leaders approached the Mayor and Police Chief about conducting the ROOT workshop and won a commitment to do the first ROOT training with a class of cadets at the police academy

·        That first session went well and HART leaders were asked to come back to do the training again with a group of officers who were being promoted

·        HART was then informed that the police department wanted to make ROOT a permanent part of supervisor training and HART leaders did the training four more times for supervisors

   Left, Cadets and residents exchange views at first ROOT workshop.  Below, group photo of workshop.