Policing & Criminal Justice
And how race relations are involved
Cause
Finding a Better Future for Citizens and Law Enforcement
Policing and Criminal Justice are key ways that the government interacts with the public. It’s crucial that the public be treated fairly by those in power, no matter their skin color or background.
How We Help
Our goal is to bring people together and spur action that changes how law enforcement treats citizens, from the top. The Charleston Forum aims to empower citizens by identifying what individuals can do on the community level. Trust and fairness are key when it comes to policing, so we want to help people hold their city accountable.
The color of one’s skin has an undeniable impact on interactions with the police. When injustices happen because of this, we make sure the public is aware, informed, and heard.
Through programs with national experts and police chiefs, we know that police want to do their jobs well and treat everyone equally. So, we have to find the disconnect that keeps this from happening.
Fighting for equal treatment while minimizing risk to officers is difficult for law enforcement to reconcile. We work with the community to identify ways that law enforcement can do things better. Education, awareness, and training are key to this.
We highlight and support projects such as the Illumination Project in Charleston, which follow a national model for how the police department can have meaningful interactions with the public and hold itself accountable.
What we do
Online Forum Resources
Playlist
IMPROVING RACE RELATIONS
AREAS WE FOCUS ON
stories of change
The Charleston Forum to host webinar discussing law enforcement and criminal justice equity
The Charleston Forum will discuss perceptions, challenges, and actions concerning race and systematic inequity through a virtual forum on October 6.
The forum will cover survey data that highlights particular challenges in local justice systems. Survey respondents were asked about specific action plans and needs within their communities.
The call for a forum comes after the results of a community survey that reported a high level of community consensus on the need for more action on specific policing strategies and criminal justice.
