Police forces in our communities reflect the National scene of undergoing scrutiny, given last week’s horrific school shooting in Florida, violence in cities, and debate about gun usage as a concept.
Somehow peace and methods to achieve peace can become lost, relegated to lesser importance, and lose an impact. Organizations must be creative to help achieve peaceful applications.
The Oswego Police Department has taken a pledge to be in support of the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s One Mind Campaign. The aim is to unite communities, public safety organizations and mental health organizations in which the three become of one mind.
Over 12 to 36 months the Oswego Police Department will take four strategies:
• Establish a partnership with one or more mental health organization(s);
• Develop a model policy for police response to persons affected by mental illness;
• Train all sworn officers and other staff personnel in the campaign for mental health first aid;
• Provide crisis intervention team training to a minimum of 20% of the agency’s sworn officers.
Programs are as good as their implementation process. Doing little or nothing is not an option.
A one mind campaign offers greater safety.
First Fridays in Aurora, the downtown unified features of music, art, and openings, will include tasting and demonstrations of coffee at the Aurora Public Library, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., by Endiro Coffee. At the same time live music will be at Endiro Coffee on New York Street. Given a break by the weather the monthly event will draw well, returning and first-time visitors. Approximately 20 sites will be involved. See page 8.
In other notes and thoughts:
• Projecting only polar opposites in any discussion or dispute is nearly always counter-productive and hastens the divide, does not heal differences.
• See our important Fundraiser forum each week. This week it is on page 17, with Let’s Go Green.
• The annual black history concert n Aurora will be Sunday, Feb. 25 at Greater Mount Olive C.O.G.I.C., 1039 Bonner Avenue.