Monday, July 6, RCFC President Del Benson hosted and moderated the first in a series of seminars on Community Civility. This session, titled Civil Behavior with Community and Police, heard from a panel consisting of Fort Collins Police Services Chief Jeff Swoboda, and CSU's Warner College Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Dr. Rickey Frierson. The recorded seminar can be viewed at: https://zoom.us/rec/share/3c5lcZ2qriRLEqfA0WPNHf8GN4a7T6a80ykb8_ZexEnnFr9ZuvcmeN20vwB-fIa0 The actual seminar starts at 40:55:00 and go to 1:47:15.
The seminar, held via Zoom, had over 60 attendees, from as far away as Casper, Wyoming. Over half of the attendees were from outside RCFC. After introductions and establishing the seminar format, President Benson presented 8 questions for the panel's discussion.- What roles do police play in community relations?
- Has society decided to resist authority: children disobeying parents and teachers; persons stopped by police who argue, fight or run rather than face their actions; refusing to go home when city leaders make curfews; riot and loot in the name of protest; etc.; and are those behaviors civil?
- How does resistance and refusal escalate encounters on both sides?
- Are there more risks associated with community and police encounters when race, sex, age, color, behaviors, etc. are evident?
- Are there reasons for police to respond differently to situations based on color, behavior, or other indicators of calculated concerns?
- What are police doing to avoid inappropriate interactions and behaviors?
- What can police do to improve their behaviors?
- What can the public do to interact better with others?
The discussion was very thoughtful and informative, with insightful discussions between the panelists. Rotary District 5440 hosted the seminar on their Zoom account and all District 5440 Rotarians were invited.
The next seminar is planned for Monday, August 3, at 9:30 AM. Details will be sent before the date.