Montco Town To Co-Lead National Initiative To Improve Police Relations

NORRISTOWN, PA — Norristown has been selected to help lead a new national intiative to improve law enforcement relationships with the general community.

Norristown is one of 20 towns in the first cohort of the Law Enforcement Community Engagement Network (LECEN), the first network of its kind aimed at supporting officers across the nation to improve public relationships.

"For the past several years, we’ve seen significant strains on the relationship between law enforcement and communities – the most recent example being the tragic death of Tyre Nichols," said Rev. Markel Hutchins, the president and CEO of MovementForward, which is organizing the intiative. "Effective law enforcement-community engagement is the key to reducing such appalling incidents."

Officers from Norristown and the rest of the first cohort will receive special evidence-based training in bridging divides between groups, aimed at increasing contact to reduce prejudice and build trust.

Organizers hope that LECEN provides a breadth of industry expertise, research, best practices, and peer support for departments nationwide to utilize. The first cohort, which Norristown is a part of, will help train other communities.

The group already met once in January, and will meet again this summer as LECEN expands to more parts of the country in the second half of 2023.

The other 19 communities joining Norristown are included below:

• Aurora Police Department – Aurora, CO
• Belmont Police Department – Belmont, NC
• Brookhaven Police Department – Brookhaven, GA
• Brownstown Police Department – Brownstown, MI
• Central Connecticut State University Police Department – New Britain, CT
• Columbia Police Department – Columbia, SC
• Dover Police Department – Dover, DE
• Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office – Conway, AR
• Fresno Police Department – Fresno, CA
• Hiram Police Department – Hiram, GA
• Jackson Police Department – Jackson, MS
• King County Sheriff’s Office – Seattle, WA
• Memphis Police Department – Memphis, TN
• Milwaukee Police Department – Milwaukee, WI
• Mooresville Police Department – Mooresville, NC
• Norristown Police Department – Norristown, PA
• Oxnard Police Department – Oxnard, CA
• Roanoke City Sheriff’s Office – Roanoke, VA
• San Diego Police Department – San Diego, CA
• Sinclair College Police Department – Dayton, OH
• Skaneateles Police Department – Skaneateles, NY
• Waco Police Department – Waco, TX