Virtual town hall event

The relationship between black Dayton area residents and police will be the subject of a Dayton Daily News virtual town hall meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The event, Dayton Daily News Courageous Conversations: Relations Between Dayton’s Black Community and Police, comes in the wake of protests here and around the nation following the May 25 police killing of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis.

Four former Minneapolis police officers have been charged in Floyd’s death.

Due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, the Courageous Conversation event will be held online. It will be streamed live on the Dayton Daily News Facebook page.

Panelists will be asked to discuss the current relationship between Dayton area police and the residents and what can be done to improve it. Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley on Wednesday unveiled five steps the city plans to take to try to improve the relationship between the community and Dayton police.

It will be hosted by new Dayton Daily News Community Impact Editor Amelia Robinson.

“We strive to provide a platform that allows conversations that lead to solutions,” Robinson said. Panelists include:

■ Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl

■ Shenise Turner Sloss of Neighborhoods Over Politics, a training and advocacy organization

■ Rev. Joshua Ward, Omega Baptist Church

■ Lawrence Burnley, University of Dayton’s vice president for diversity and inclusion

■ Springboro Police Chief Jeff Kruithoff

■ Dayton City Commissioner Jeff Mims

■ Dayton born activist Zakiya Sankara-Jabar of Brightbeam, a nonprofit network of education activists

“This forum is part of the vital discussion and action our community is undertaking over George Floyd’s death and what it represented to many people regarding police relations with the African-American community,” Dayton Daily News Editor Jim Bebbington said.

STAFF REPORT