Nation's law enforcement organizations unite with local communities for National Faith & Blue Weekend 2022 (October 7-10) to encourage dialogue and collaboration to combat rising crime
WASHINGTON, Aug.8, 2022 -- As the nation reels from rising violent crime rates, an increase in mass shootings, and fledging calls to "defund the police", America's most powerful law enforcement groups, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and national civil rights organization MovementForward, Inc., will jointly announce the largest and most consolidated police-community outreach effort in U.S. history - National Faith & Blue Weekend 2022 (Faith & Blue) set to take place Friday, October 7 through Monday, October 10, 2022.
A non-partisan, non-sectarian effort aimed at increasing cooperation, breaking down biases, and building bridges between law enforcement and the communities they serve, this critical effort comes amid historic rises in crime nationally and on the heels of high-profile controversial events involving police. The mission of Faith & Blue is to facilitate safer, stronger, and more unified communities by connecting law enforcement officers and residents through the expansive reach of faith-based organizations in local communities.
With events set to take place in all of America's major cities and hundreds of other local communities across all 50 states, the nationwide effort will serve as the culmination of congressionally-designated National Community Policing Week 2022. Faith & Blue is co-convened by MovementForward, Inc., an inclusive social change organization working to protect, promote, and advance civil and human rights, and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
Faith & Blue is a historic effort involving nearly every major national law enforcement group in the United States of America along with the federal agencies most directly engaged with local law enforcement. The co-organizers include:
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA)
FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA)
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
Hispanic American Police Command Officers Association (HAPCOA)
International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA)
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
International Brotherhood of Police Officers (IBPO)
Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA)
Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA)
National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys
National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE)
National Black Police Association
National District Attorney's Association (NDAA)
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
National Narcotics Officers' Association Coalition
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)
National Policing Institute (Formerly National Police Foundation)
National Sheriffs' Association (NSA)
Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)
Secure Community Network
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Justice
These national partnerships are matched by an extraordinary cohort of state sheriffs', police chiefs', and prosecutors' associations across all 50 states. Each of these state law enforcement associations is working to bring Faith & Blue to agencies throughout their respective jurisdictions.
During National Faith & Blue Weekend 2022, law enforcement agencies across the United States will team up with local faith-based and other community organizations to host public activities focused on repairing and strengthening the bond between communities and those that protect them. The activities will include forums and town halls, crime reduction briefings, peace and unity walks, marches, picnics, athletic events, vigils, and other activities that foster an environment of problem-solving, resolution, and reconciliation.
"For the past several years, we've seen enormous strains in the relationship between law enforcement and communities," says MovementForward CEO and Faith & Blue lead organizer Rev. Markel Hutchins. "Recent times have proven that we cannot simply march and protest away the problems - we have to turn our pain into power." The noted civil rights leader continued, "Our pathway to progress around policing as a nation is a collaborative one that focuses on our commonalities rather than our differences."
In its inaugural year of 2020, National Faith & Blue Weekend facilitated 1,000 community-led activities in 43 states and the District of Columbia. In the second year, Faith & Blue 2021 doubled to more than 2000 engagements across all 50 states. Rev. Hutchins says the compounded stresses of historic rises in crime, the growing frequency of mass shootings, and the recent perilous strains on police-community relations across the country have brought about a critical need to strengthen connections with local law enforcement through solutions-focused partnerships in every neighborhood in America.
National Faith & Blue Weekend is sponsored by FirstNet®, Built with AT&T and the Motorola Solutions Foundation.
"When communities are able to come together to communicate respectfully about the issues they face, they can find a common ground that allows them to develop better solutions," said Jason Porter, President, Public Sector and FirstNet, AT&T. "National Faith & Blue Weekend is an example of community leaders, leading by example to facilitate positive community relationships between citizens and law enforcement. As America's public safety partner, it's our honor to support the grassroots effort of Faith & Blue Weekend to strengthen police-community relations in neighborhoods across the country."
"Motorola Solutions Foundation is proud to support National Faith & Blue Weekend, as it drives important conversations and strengthens relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve," says Jack Molloy, board member, Motorola Solutions Foundation and executive vice president and chief operating officer, Motorola Solutions. "We share MovementForward's conviction that together we can build trust, fuel positive change and strengthen our communities."
For more information about National Faith & Blue Weekend, or to find an event near you, visit http://www.faithandblue.org.
ABOUT NATIONAL FAITH & BLUE WEEKEND
National Faith & Blue Weekend (Faith & Blue) is a collaborative initiative that builds bridges and breaks down biases through activities and outreach amongst law enforcement professionals and the communities they serve. Faith & Blue is based on the premise that strong communities are built on mutual respect and understanding. Law enforcement entities and faith-based organizations are both key pillars of local communities, and when they work together, neighborhoods thrive. Faith & Blue is a nationalization of the One Congregation One Precinct initiative (OneCOP), a program of MovementForward, Inc. which is a solutions-focused, social change organization based in Atlanta, Georgia led by noted human and civil rights leader, the Rev. Markel Hutchins. Faith & Blue organizers represent every major national law enforcement group and faith tradition in the United States of America.
Visit National Faith & Blue Weekend at http://www.faithandblue.org or connect via Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. #FaithAndBlue
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Media Contact
Eva Bowen, Faith & Blue, 1 (602) 791-0298, [email protected]
SOURCE Faith & Blue
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