Kinston, Lenoir Co. Lawmakers, Law Enforcement To Discuss Community Policing At Film Screening
DURHAM, N.C. – On Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 pm, community, political, and law enforcement leaders from Kinston Police Department and Lenoir County will gather to attend a screening and participate in a panel discussion about the new short film titled “#Huemans: A Guide to Get Home,” produced by You & Five-O, LLC (YFO), a community policing training & consulting company based in Durham. The screening will occur at the Hayti Heritage Center at 804 Old Fayetteville Street in Durham. Featured panelists include Kinston Mayor Don Hardy, Kinston Police Chief Keith Goyette, Kinston City Council member Felicia Solomon, Kinston City Council member Chris Suggs, Lenoir County Sheriff Jackie Rogers, Kinston-Lenoir NAACP President Pastor Barbara Sutton, and YFO founder BJ Council.
YFO founder and trainer Beverly “BJ” Council said, “We produced this film to equip young people, individuals, families, communities, and police officers with more information and guidance to safely navigate law enforcement encounters and to get home.” The film focuses on the importance of communication and cooperation between police officers and the communities they serve. In June 2022, You & Five-O implemented a new law enforcement training program for sworn officers and non-sworn staff at the Kinston Police Department in Kinston, North Carolina. The community policing curriculum was created by Council, who is also a retired police officer and the first African-American female to achieve the rank of Deputy Chief within the Durham City Police Department in Durham, North Carolina. (Please scroll down to watch the “#Huemans: A Guide To Get Home” trailer)
“In Kinston, the majority of our police officers’ daily duties consist of communicating with our citizens on calls for service,” stated Kinston Police Department Chief of Police Keith Goyette. “An officer’s ability to communicate with an individual whose culture is different from their own is critical to establishing a trusting relationship. Because of the You & Five-O training, our officers are better equipped to meet the needs of our community.”
You & Five-O training programs offered for residents and community organizations pay homage to the merits of cooperation, communication, and compliance with officers of the law. The primary objective is to promote mutual respect between law enforcement and citizens, with the ultimate goal of survival. Topics range from knowing individual rights to traffic stops and searches, overviews about local police departments, reporting police misconduct, and current events.
Kinston Mayor Don Hardy said, “The You & Five-O organization, under the direction of BJ Council, has been an asset for Kinston/Lenoir County as it pertains to having impactful conversations with our youth and law enforcement officers. The hands-on training scenarios on vehicle stops and interactions with police have been some of the best teachings I’ve seen throughout the state of North Carolina. I would recommend these teachings to continue across the state.”
Pastor Barbara Sutton, president of the NAACP of Kinston Lenoir County, said: “You & Five-O has been a win for community members of Lenoir County and the local Lenoir County NAACP. We are grateful that You & Five-O provides safe spaces to discuss hard topics – and to hear difficult truths as the community and law enforcement work toward understanding each other. We have seen positive changes due to these difficult conversations.”
Leaders at non-profits, colleges, school systems, and local police departments interested in learning more about incorporating the signature You & Five-O Community Policing training model can visit www.YouAndFive-O.com or email: training@youandfive-o.com for more information.
Watch the “#Huemans: A Guide To Get Home” Trailer