Hello Lauderhill Family:
As you may be aware, your Lauderhill Police Department has made great strides in reaching out to our community to provide information, education, and opportunities to our residents, businesses, and visitors. We believe that the engagement we have had with the residents gives us all a sense of pride in the City of Lauderhill and the Lauderhill Police Department. #Lauderhillproud #Lauderhillstrong
One of the biggest problems we face however, are the misconceptions of what police officers can and (perhaps more importantly) cannot do. Traffic stops may be one of the only encounters people ever have with a police officer. In this case, education is key to having an incident-free interaction. In fact, the great majority of those pulled over are hard-working people, whose infractions or oversights caught the attention of an officer. Not many people know what to expect or how to react when being pulled over.
Although there is a lot of information out there on how to interact with law enforcement, a lot of it is inaccurate and often misleading. Implementing incorrect concepts can lead to unnecessary escalations between residents and officers.
To correct the misinformation and provide useful information about police interactions, the Lauderhill Police Department partnered with an outreach organization called The Generation of Purpose. From the partnership, a very informative and interactive program was developed called, “Know Your Rights, Youth Law Enforcement Workshop.” The goal of this program was to educate youth and young adults about their rights. Participants were also taught how to recognize if they are being treated in a disrespectful manner, including signs of racial profiling while interacting with police. After the educational portion of the workshop, participants got a chance to interact in various scenarios via role-playing. The exercises helped attendees identify their rights while determining if they were being violated.
The feedback received was very positive. We look forward to additional innovative ways to strengthen our relationship with those that serve and protect. If your organization is looking to hold a workshop like this, please reach out to us. We would be happy to address your members while getting to know them!
Until next time, stay safe and, remember if you see something, say something!
Yours in service,
Chief Constance Stanley
Non-Emergency: 954-764-HELP (4357)
Emergency: 9-1-1