Summerville, South Carolina — Summerville police are urging locals to participate in what they describe as an honest discourse about trust and respect. On Saturday, the department will hold a Dignity Project event, inviting neighbours and cops to engage in open discourse.
Deputy Chief Chris Hirsch explained that the effort is about more than just law enforcement. He described it as a grassroots initiative to ensure that police officers and communities communicate well.
“Dignity means treating everybody with fairness and equality,” Hirsch told the crowd. “That is what we need to be doing as police officers.”
The discussion will focus on listening to citizens, allowing them to share their experiences, express concerns, and ask questions concerning policing. Hirsch stated that the goal is to form long-term collaborations that address challenges in Summerville.
“It’s really about listening,” Hirsch explained. “When officers understand what people are experiencing, and the community understands why we do what we do, it makes working together much easier.”
Community leaders emphasised the need of making dignity the focal point of the conversation.
“When you engage with someone in a dignified way, it shows mutual respect,” said Ginny Vicini of Keys to Change. “That is how you open the door to real solutions.”
Vicini went on to say that the word dignity was chosen specifically for the forum. She described it as the foundation of positive interactions between citizens and police enforcement.
“Let’s not stop with just one conversation,” Vicini remarked. “If problems arise from these forums, we must address them. If partnerships are formed, we must cultivate them. That is the only way to effect sustainable change.”
Hirsch stated that the department intends to continue conducting Dignity Project forums in other neighbourhoods across Summerville so that more individuals can participate in the discourse.
