Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is Committed to Building Strong Relationships

MovementForward, Inc., a modern, inclusive social change organization working  to protect, promote, and advance the civil and human rights of all people, in partnership with the Jacksonville  Sheriff’s Office announced the Jacksonville launch of its signature program One Congregation One Precinct (OneCOP). The goal of the OneCOP initiative is to deepen engagement between local law enforcement and the  communities they serve through houses of worship. As a part of the launch, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and  MovementForward, Inc. will bring together leaders from the Jacksonville faith-based community for an  opportunity to experience in-person officer-civilian scenarios that include mock traffic stops, simulated  interactions and reaction drills. Lastly, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has invited every senior faith leader who  presides over every local house of worship to attend a launch luncheon. 

Sheriff Mike Williams offered, “I have said time and time again, ‘During a crisis is NOT when relationships can be  built. But rather it is through the commitment to open conversations happening routinely BEFORE the crisis occurs  that makes all the difference.’” He went to say “Jacksonville has a rich roster of leaders in every community and  the OneCOP Program is seamlessly designed to make every house of worship a force multiplier in how the men  and women of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office can directly engage with those we are so proud to serve. I look  forward to seeing the amazing connections made and long-time relationships bloom.” 

“Police-community tensions are at an all-time high. Without a doubt, America needs a resolution to address the  systemic racism at the heart of many of society’s wrongs, including the racial inequities in our criminal justice  system,” said Rev. Markel Hutchins, CEO of MovementForward, Inc. “Police reform will not happen overnight, and  the long-term solution will require a substantial effort to address the grievances and negative perceptions civilians  have about law enforcement. Collaborations between police agencies and local groups–especially faith-based  organizations–are invaluable force-multipliers for creating safer and more engaged neighborhoods.” 

OneCOP is MovementForward, Inc.’s signature program, which facilitates positive, ongoing partnerships between  local law enforcement agencies and diverse congregations of every faith tradition. This includes organizing various  crime and violence prevention-solving efforts, hosting public safety briefings, providing cultural and sensitivity  training, conducting officer appreciation events, holding community safety workshops, and hosting forums focused  on bettering the relationship between cops and citizens. 

OneCOP is a proactive rather than reactive approach to addressing tensions around police-involved incidents as  well as ongoing crime and violence in local communities. OneCOP has several objectives that incorporate the six  pillars outlined by the former Task Force on 21st Century Policing of the U.S. Department of Justice – Office of  Community Oriented Policing Services: 

• Improve public safety through collaboration and information sharing to prevent, combat and solve crimes  by tapping into the varied resources of faith-based institutions 
• Increase community engagement with patrol-level police officers, via congregations, resulting in  decreased bias and increased familiarity, mutual respect and trust 
• Proactively create a direct link between law enforcement executives and community leaders in an effort  to give voice to growing public concerns relative to policing 

Jacksonville is the fifth launch of OneCOP following implementations in Indianapolis, Ind.; Atlanta; Athens, Ga. and  Portland, Ore. 

To learn more about the OneCOP initiative, visit https://movementforward.org/onecop/. 

ABOUT THE JACKSONVILLE SHERIFF’S OFFICE 

Located in Duval County, Florida, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) is an accredited agency comprised of  approximately 3,500 employees; including nearly 2,000 sworn police; corrections and civilian personnel. As one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the nation, JSO provides rigorous training, maintains the  highest professional standards, and offers a technologically advanced academy to train top quality employees to  serve and protect a community of nearly one-million citizens. Under the leadership of Sheriff Mike Williams, the  members of the agency strive for a crime-free environment, driven by partnerships with empowered citizens,  fostering a vibrant community and the success of all individuals. 

ABOUT MOVEMENTFORWARD, INC. 

MovementForward, Inc. (MFI) is a modern, inclusive social change organization working to protect, promote and  advance the civil and human rights of all people. It is building a multiracial, multifaceted and intergenerational  movement for social justice, economic parity, educational equity, racial reconciliation and global peace by bringing  diverse people together to solve problems. Founded in 2015 by emerging faith leaders in Atlanta, MFI provides this  generation of Americans a conciliatory voice to offer programs, projects, activism, empowerment opportunities,  and targeted issue campaigns to advocate for one standard of justice regardless of race, class, gender, religion,  orientation or immigration status. 

Visit MovementForward, Inc at www.movementforward.org or follow on Twitter at @MovementFWD. 

ABOUT ONE CONGREGATION ONE PRECINCT (OneCOP) 

One Congregation One Precinct (OneCOP) initiative is MovementForward, Inc.’s signature program that facilitates  positive, ongoing partnerships between local law enforcement agencies and diverse congregations of every faith  tradition. OneCOP partnerships allow for program-participating officers to personally know the people in their  assigned communities by building relationships with congregations in the respective, local area by organizing  various crime and violence prevention/solving efforts, hosting public safety briefings, providing cultural and  sensitivity training, conducting officer appreciation events, holding community safety workshops, and hosting  forums focused on bettering the relationship between cops and residents. Today, OneCOP is established in four  cities in the United States. 

CONTACT

Dennis-Anthony Dent, Manager of Communications and Social Media, MovementForward, Inc.; o: 404-793-7017;  dennis.dent@movementforward.org 

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Editorial Disclaimer: All blog posts are contributed by a member of the MovementForward, Inc. team in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in the posts are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of MovementForward, Inc. or any other partnership associated with the organization.