CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has teamed up with Central Piedmont Community College to build strong relationships with adults in our community who have disabilities.
Thursday morning, they got to experience what it’s like to be a police recruit at the CMPD training facility.
The students are all adults with learning disabilities, and they participate in a program at CPCC called I-LEAD.
Officers said they wanted to work with them to help tear down any stereotypes between that community and police.
They said they also want people with disabilities to feel comfortable coming to police for help.
Officers and instructors with I-LEAD said people within the community can often be taken advantage of.
“A student was on the trolley. He handed his wallet to a random man, guy took the money and handed it back to him,” Shannon Derries, with the CPCC I-LEAD program, said.
The event lasted all day Thursday.
Police said they want everyone to feel empowered to come to police if they ever feel victimized.
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