On Friday, August 14, Sheriff Troy D. Berry and members of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office will join community activists and members of the NAACP for a workshop on “Building Relationships of Trust—Community Policing.”
The training is taught by Dr. Melanye Smith, a retired commander of the Metropolitan Police Department with more than 20 years’ experience and a contributing faculty member at Ashford and Walden Universities. “The program is geared towards moving each participant from their starting position along an ideological continuum by generating dialogue to enhance understanding and meaning and to create a shared vision,” according to Dr. Smith’s biography.
“Dr. Smith has put together a program that engages officers and citizens in conversation about perceptions and realities, split-second decision-making and building trust within communities. We are a proactive agency and this type of training will no doubt serve our agency and community well,” said Sheriff Berry.
Training will be held at the Waldorf Jaycees Community Center, 3090 Crain Highway, Waldorf, and will commence at 8:30 a.m. and end at 12 noon. Members of the media are invited to attend. Sheriff Berry and other participants will be available for interviews afterwards. For more information, contact Diane Richardson, Media Relations, at (301) 609-6557 or email richardsond@ccso.us.