The Arlington Police Department is calling on faith leaders to join a new program they hope will build better relationships and curb crime.
On Monday the department launched the “One Congregation One Precinct” (OneCOP) program which is designed to open communication between officers and the public by partnering with faith groups.
Arlington is the first city in Texas to adopt the Atlanta-based program.
“We need these partnerships. Crime is not a policing issue. It’s a community issue,” said Arlington Police Chief Al Jones.
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“It’s about leveraging the power that these faith-based organizations have to bring about public safety to focus on our commonalities,” said Rev. Markel Hutchins, CEO of MovementForward, Inc, which oversees the OneCOP program.
Jones said 500 invitations went out to local faith-based leaders and organizations asking them to participate. A luncheon will be held Tuesday for those interested.
OneCOP is expected to include neighborhood improvement and crime prevention programs, along with cultural sensitivity training. It will also give faith leaders a direct way to share the community’s concerns regarding police and police reform.
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“We have to do something different. We’ve spent the last several years marching on each other and crime and violence continue to escalate. What we have to do now is march to each other,” Hutchins said.
