Program bridges gap between police, community

Lorain County police officers learned Nov. 15 how they can do their part to mentor local children and rebuild relationships between cops and the community.

The meeting was organized by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County President and CEO Orlando Grant as a way to inform the officers and entice them to take part in the organization’s Bigs in Blue program.

According to a Big Brothers Big Sisters news release, the program aims to build relationships between the children in the community and law enforcement by partnering officers up with youngsters.

The program, which is funded by the Ohio Department of Juvenile Justice and the Community Foundation of Lorain County, has been implemented in cities across the country.

In Lorain County, it mainly will focus on Elyria, with a pilot program in Lorain to focus on Hispanic children, the release said.

As part of the presentation, Elyria police Chief Duane Whitely spoke about his department’s Coffee with a Cop program and how it has opened doors in the community.

“The importance of police officers being in the community cannot be understated,” Whitely said. “It’s what our job is; we’re here to serve the public.

“A lot of times, especially with what’s going on with the media, there’s too much of a disconnect between the police officers and the public. Any avenue we can get to change that disconnect, to bridge the gap between the police and the public, is a huge help.”

The Bigs in Blue program is open to boys and girls from ages 10 to 17 and asks officers to spend one hour a week with their “little brother” or “little sister.”

According to Grant, the organization has received a grant to help offset the cost of activities mentors may want to take part in with their respective “little.”

The organization seeks to do as much as possible to facilitate these relationships, he said.

“These kids are just like kids that we encounter every day,” Grant said. “The only difference is they don’t have a positive role model.”