Panel discusses how police and community members can work together

On Tuesday, December 4th, Continuing Conversations, a student group inside of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) held a conversation around policies and programs for improving police work with diverse populations.  The event was a panel discussion between GSPIA students and led by joint GSPIA and School of Social Work student, Jam Hammond '19.  Sitting on the panel were Commanders Jason Lando and Eric Holmes of the Pittsburgh Burea of Police, Sergeant Mark Villasenor of the University of Pittsburgh Police, and Dr. Emma Lucas-Darby of the Pittsburgh Citizen Police Review Board. Dr. Lucas-Darby, the interim head of Pitt's MSW program, gave an overview of steps citizens can take in the case of difficulties with the police. All panelists provided several examples of how citizens, police, and policymakers can better understand each other and work together.  These include but are not limited to the "You & the Police" pamphlets, Citizen's and Student's Police Academies, and police-led implicit bias trainings. Commander Jason Lando (Pittsburgh Bureau of Police), Jam Hammond (SW and GSPIA student), Emma (Interim Director, MSW Program and President, Pittsburgh Citizens Review Board), Commander Eric Holmes (PBP), Sargent Mark Villasenor (University of Pittsburgh Police).