CRESTVIEW — Trust between law enforcement agencies and the public is important when crises arise.
That was the takeaway from Tuesday's Citizens Town Hall at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. A panel including Mayor David Cadle, Police Chief Tony Taylor and Okaloosa County Sheriff Larry Ashley addressed key points for dealing with tragedies.
In such times, trust is crucial, Ashley said.
“When the trust is lost, that’s when things break down," he said. "Do we really want to have a battle with our brothers and sisters?”
Checking the police department and sheriff's office's websites — as opposed to reading Facebook friends' accounts of an incident — is important; so is trusting authorities' information, even if all answers aren't given, Taylor and Ashley said.
"We try to be as transparent as possible, but there are some things we cannot tell you right away," Taylor said.
Residents and panel members brainstormed ways to build trust between the community and law enforcement officers.
Ideas included adopting a local National Night Out, an evening when the community can play games and have fun with police officers. Perhaps a water balloon fight with lawmen wearing everyday clothes would help strengthen residents' relationship with them, too, residents said.
Getting along well with police officers and sheriff's deputies is important in uncertain times, such as when local crime or widespread tension occurs, pastors said.
"The past six months have been quite disruptive and quite violent," said The Rev. Mark Broadhead, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Crestview. "We are concerned as a community and we hope to bridge gaps."
The Rev. Sanford Hayes asked about how local pastors could help during a tragedy, what would be the police department's first course of action and what role deputies would play if assistance were needed.
The city wants to increase more communication between citizens and law enforcement; build trust with the community; and, if tragedy arose, see pastors as an additional source of information, panel members said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview, Okaloosa officials: Strengthening relationship with lawmen crucial to weathering crises