COVINGTON, KENTUCKY (July 22, 2023) — Four Somerset Police Department leaders attended the annual Diversity Law Enforcement Symposium July 18 hosted by the Northern Kentucky Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Held in Covington, the goal of the diversity symposium is to enhance the relationship and community outreach among law enforcement agencies and the diverse communities they serve. Presentations were made by the U.S. Department of Justice – Community Relations Service on the following topics as they relate to law enforcement: understanding poverty and culture; eliminating prejudices, stereotypes and misconceptions; strategies to enhance relationships with diverse communities; communication strategies; recruiting diverse candidates; and building trust with diverse communities.
Training on these topics is difficult to find, Somerset Police Chief William Hunt said, which is why he felt it was worth the time to travel to Covington to participate.
“At Somerset Police, our officers strive for continuous professional improvement, which in turn improves our community,” Hunt said. “Our hope is the knowledge and resources we acquired at this year’s symposium will help us continue to serve all members of our community to the best of our ability.”
In addition to Hunt, Capt. Josh Wesley, Detective Lt. Larry Patterson and Lt. Greg Guffey attended the symposium, and SPD was the only law enforcement agency from southern Kentucky represented. Other agencies and organizations included Kentucky State Police, Ohio State Police, Indiana State Police, Cincinnati Police Department, Kenton County Sheriff’s Department, several faith-based organizations, and other community partnership-based organizations that work in conjunction with law enforcement.
See coverage of the symposium from Cincinnati’s FOX 19 here.
