Hayward to Host Major Community/Law Enforcement Summit

 (HAYWARD, CA) – In stark contrast to recent national news highlighting friction between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve, the City of Hayward is set to host an unprecedented community gathering, led by top officials from law enforcement across Alameda County, the NAACP, the faith-­‐based community and the school district in an effort to promote community trust and collaboration.

The Alameda County Chiefs of Police and Sheriff’s Association, the Hayward-­‐South Alameda County chapter of the NAACP and Palma Ceia Baptist Church have partnered to host the “Action Readiness Summit” on Saturday, May 16 at Hayward’s Mount Eden High School from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The event will feature a full day of discussion about police-­‐community relations, including panel discussions, breakout groups, and equipment displays.

The scale and scope of the event is a remarkable display of collaboration and forward thinking among a massive array of independent organizations. The summit, which seeks to facilitate unity, trust and partnership, is especially notable in light of painful recent events in other U.S. cities.

“Law enforcement agencies draw their strength from the communities they serve,” said Hayward Chief of Police Diane Urban. “For us to be effective, we need the community to feel that we are united in pursuit of a common goal. Now is the time for us to be having these discussions; not in the wake of tragedy.”

The gathering of law enforcement agencies is exceptional, with representatives from every Alameda County agency in attendance, as well as the FBI, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, Alameda County Probation, and the California Highway Patrol.

Breakout groups will focus on building positive relationships between the community and law enforcement, understanding police practices and procedures, understanding community perception and reality, and role-­‐ playing exercises to help improve mutual understanding between youth and law enforcement. A wide range of police equipment and vehicles will also be on hand to foster better understanding of how and why equipment is deployed and utilized.

Unlike similar summits aimed exclusively at interagency cooperation, the Hayward event is geared toward hands-­‐on community involvement. All Alameda County residents – with particular emphasis on youth – are warmly welcomed to attend.

A press conference discussing the impetus and importance of the event, featuring members of the planning committee including Ms. Freddye Davis, President of the Hayward-­‐South Alameda County NAACP, Hayward Police Chief Diane Urban, Fremont Police Chief Richard Lucero, Union City Police Chief Darryl McAllister, CSUEB Police Chief Sheryl Boykins, Pastor Bryan Murphy, and Pastor Tommy E. Smith Jr. will be held on Thursday, May
14 at 2:00 p.m. at the offices of the Hayward-­‐South Alameda County NAACP. A subsequent media alert for the press conference will be forthcoming.


EVENT DETAILS:

What:  Law Enforcement Action Readiness Summit
When:  Saturday, May 16, 2015 – 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where:  Mt. Eden High School, 2300 Panama St. Hayward, CA 94545
Why:  To increase collaboration, trust and understanding among law enforcement and the community.
Who:  All Alameda County residents are invited and encouraged to attend this remarkable event.

Representatives from the following law enforcement agencies will be in attendance:

• Hayward Police Department
• Alameda County Sheriff’s Department
• Alameda County District Attorney’s Office
• Alameda County Probation Department
• Alameda (City) Police Department
• Albany Police Department
• BART Police Department
• Berkeley Police Department
• California Highway Patrol
• CSU East Bay Police Department
• Dublin Police Department
• East Bay Regional Park Police