Community

Safe, informed, less fearful citizenry are goals of ‘Know Your Rights' workshop

By Kevin Campbell
By Kevin Campbell
The Mecklenburg Council of Elders is presenting a Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department transparency workshop Saturday. 
“The goal is to create a healthy relationship between the community at-large and our CMPD through information, talk-back and role-play,” Scott Ellis, team lead for the council, said.
Communities across the nation have found that police departments work best when they work for the community, when they know the community and when the community knows them.
The mission of the CMPD transparency workshop is to work toward strengthening community relationships, increasing the community’s understanding of police work, and equipping citizens to provide productive and meaningful input into how their police department functions.
“Participants will walk away with knowing what their legal rights are in CMPD encounters from the assistant public defenders’ lenses, from the defense lawyer’s lenses and from the lenses of CMPD as well as the implementation of those rights without causing unnecessary agitation,” Ellis said.
The council has found that over the three years of providing this quarterly workshop, the citizenry lacks basic knowledge of simple rights that could serve to keep them safe and less fearful of the police, their neighbors and government officials.
Representatives from the CMPD, the assistant public defender’s office, Freedman Law Group and others will be available to answer questions.  The organizations will serve as presenters translating the law from their perspective and providing the audience an opportunity to see how each relates to the other.
The Mecklenburg Council of Elders is a collaboration of 15 organizations serving as one body doing the work of law, justice and community outreach through criminal record expungement, youth engagement and community safety.
Ellis hopes attendees can develop a working relationship with the CMPD and find resolutions. “With an understanding of what it means for all of us to get home safe especially for our youth and young adults,” Ellis said.
 “It is hard to determine what component citizens will need to become empowered and stay safe.” Ellis said.  The council invites you to stop by Saturday morning, have breakfast, get an agenda and make your own determination what sessions to attend.
Event Details: 
Date: Sat., Oct. 6, 2018 
Time: 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Belmont Community Center, 700 Parkwood Ave., Charlotte, NC 28205
For more information or to register, you can click on this link-> KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOP
If you have an inspiring story to share, email Kevin Campbell, WSOC-TV/WAXN-TV community affairs manager, at Kevin.Campbell@wsoctv.com

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