Police held a forum with resident immigrants in Winston-Salem Tuesday night. The meeting was an opportunity for the two groups to talk openly, and get to know each other better.
The forum was part of a series of discussions called Trust Talks, with a goal of fostering better relationships between police officers and local communities.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports more than 30 immigrants, mostly from Spanish-speaking countries, and about 20 officers from the Winston-Salem Police Department met at the West Campus of Forsyth Technical Community College.
Following an initial dialog, smaller groups were formed to discuss issues as communication, cultural differences and racial profiling.
The groups agreed that the language barrier can be a big issue, particularly when trying to communicate in dangerous situations.
And one native of Mexico said that police needed to understand that people from different countries have different customs.
For their part, officers said there can be some misconceptions about the role they play, and that they shouldn't be judged based on stereotypes about police.
Information gathered at the Trust Talks will be incorporated into police diversity training.
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