Officers From Haiti Visit Gillette Stadium As Part Of Exchange

From Partners in Patriotism: Two law enforcement officers from Haiti spent this past week in Foxboro learning about the community, the region and the New England culture as part of Phase II of an international exchange program with the town’s police department funded by the Kraft family’s Partners in Patriotism Fund.

Haitian National Police officers Stephanie Louis and Yvon St. Juste participated in the week long visit, which included a tour of Gillette Stadium on Thursday, June 21. Foxboro Police officer Stephen McGrath, Lt. Richard Noonan and Chief William Baker joined the Haitian officers on the trip to Gillette Stadium.

“I am thrilled both personally and professionally to have had the opportunity to host officers St. Juste and Louis,” said Baker. “Having them here in Foxboro and watching their connection with our officers and the kids at the Foxboro Regional Charter School is really what this is all about. I am sure Yvon and Stephanie will go home with very special memories and experiences that will help them in their work.”

St. Juste, Louis and retired NYPD officer Vanencia Colon, serving as a translator from the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, received a behind-the-scenes tour of Gillette Stadium and a demonstration of the venue’s security operations and technology. The tour ended on the stadium field where members of the Partners in Patriotism Fund greeted the officers and heard about their experiences and own culture. The Partners in Patriotism Fund donated $5,600 to fund St. Juste and Louis’ visit to Foxboro.

“It was great to meet the officers from the Haitian National Police and to hear about their experiences in Foxboro and Greater Boston - in their native Creole language and through a translator," said Partners in Patriotism Fund member Michelle Gardner. "They were very appreciative of the experiences and even showed some soccer skills they use as part of their community policing efforts with youth while on the field at Gillette Stadium. I hope they will bring new skills back with them that will strengthen their communities."

Said Jimmy McGowan, Partners in Patriotism Fund Grants Committee chair: “This program promotes racial and cultural understanding for police officers in Foxborough through a unique opportunity to not only visit Haiti, but to welcome Haitian officers to our town so they can experience our community and way of life. The uniqueness of the program and the idea of promoting learning and understanding of other cultures really resonated with me and the other members of our committee. We thought it was a worthwhile project to support and are proud to be a part of it."

As part of Phase I of the exchange program funded by Foxboro Rotary, officer McGrath and Foxboro Police detective Patrick Hoffman visited Haiti in March. During their visit, they attended meetings at the U.S. Embassy, toured the Haitian National Police headquarters, the local police academy and the Haitian History Museum. They were also interviewed on Haitian radio.

The program is intended to connect the Haitian National Police to a U.S. law enforcement agency while expanding global understanding of American law enforcement personnel. In turn, it also provides U.S. officers with a greater understanding of diverse individuals and cultures within their own community.

“Our long-term goal is to be able to expose everyone in the agency to an experience like this and expand our geographic reach to other parts of the world where we have relationships with Embassy personnel and the National Police,” said Baker. “I think a program like this and the performance of our officers in this program demonstrates a certain gravitas that I think most serious minded citizens in Foxboro will recognize and appreciate.”

Image Via Partners in Patriotism