Those are the thoughts of Tru Pettigrew, an author, speaker, ad executive and community organizer who will present a Building Bridges forum with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department next week.

The forum is set for September 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Adams.

The philosophy of what police can do with the community is something which was set in Pettigrew’s mind after a discussion with an officer who talked about his career ladder from a rookie to a seasoned veteran, he said today.

The forum next week will manifest itself through the COHORT course, which stands for Community Organizers Helping Officers Restore Trust.

COHORT came about three years ago as Pettigrew watched the “news images of unarmed African-Americans dying by law enforcement. My perception was based on other areas I lived in.”

Pettigrew went to the Cary Police Department and discussed who he was and discussed his concerns. The police department “reacted to me with open arms, an open heart.”

It was a step in bridge-building, he said. “It started for selfish reasons. I was concerned for my son.”

To build the bridges takes both sides, Pettigrew said. “The onus and responsibility are on all stakeholders.”

Roanoke Rapids police Chief Chuck Hasty met Pettigrew at a recent chief’s conference. “He told a story about how he got stopped. It’s about listening and talking out. We want people to come talk. We don’t know everybody’s stories so in order to do that we will take the time to get to know each other before we make any assumptions.

That process would include, depending on the circumstances which arise, reviewing body cameras and car cameras and talking to officers.

Hasty said holding forums like this one and ones in the past are one of the ways the police department tries to reach out to the community. “We want everybody in the community to come out. We want to know how we can help you, talk about disconnects and us coming together to fight the problems.”