-- Input, listening sessions funded by second $25,000 Duke Energy Grant --
The Salisbury Police Department (SPD) is continuing its series of in-person conversations with the Salisbury community, this time with a focus on engaging youth and local business populations at back-to-back forums.
Cultivating Community Conversations Youth Night, specifically for residents under 18, will be held Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 5 p.m. at City Park, 316 Lake Dr., in partnership with the Salisbury Youth Council (SYC). Local business owners are invited to meet at the Salisbury Police Department, 130 E. Liberty St., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 8:30 a.m. Police Chief’s Advisory Board members will lead engagement between officers and residents in an open discussion during both “Conversations.” Food will be served.
“Cultivating Community Conversations has been an important tool for us in community engagement efforts because it allows for frank conversations between our law enforcement staff and neighbors,” said Police Chief Patrick “PJ” Smith. “That honesty helps us better serve our residents, and hopefully bridge a gap that’s historically been a concern. We were deliberate in our focus on youth and local business owners in these upcoming meetings to make sure their specific voices are heard.”
“As president of SYC, it is an honor and a privilege to participate in this engaging community conversation regarding youth and the Salisbury Police Department,” said Gray Davis, SYC. “As a community, it is vitally important that we, the youth, continue to have strong connections and relations to our police department. We are the future of our city, and events like these allow us to take a step in the right direction and help fortify and strengthen the promising future for our community.”
The dialogue series is made possible thanks to a second $25,000 Duke Energy Foundation grant. The grant was also awarded to SPD in 2021 as part of the energy company’s annual $1 million pledge to social justice and racial equity in North Carolina. SPD is one of 40 organizations across North Carolina selected as a recipient of the Duke Energy Foundation grant.
Additional Conversations with other stakeholder groups in various Salisbury neighborhoods are being planned for the remainder of 2024.