Study circles offer public chance to interact with police

by Linda Rush

March 27, 2006 | The Southern | Carbondale, Illinois

Carbondale Conversations for Community Action is planning several opportunities for Carbondale residents to interact with local police officers to exchange information and experiences, with the first scheduled at 7 p.m. Monday at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 803 N. Robert Stalls Ave.

The sessions are open to any Carbondale resident. They grew out of conversations held last fall on "Community and Police Working Together."

Calvin Stearns, deputy chief of operations at the Carbondale Police Department and a member of the action group, said "if people who come Monday want to meet again and continue this dialogue, we will make that happen."

Another action group, focusing on education, will present "What to do if stopped by the police," on Monday, April 3, at the Thebes Room in the SIUC Student Center. The presentation is in conjunction with a meeting of the SIUC Rotaract Club, which runs from 8 to 9 p.m. The meetings are open to anyone in the SIUC community. Both Carbondale and SIUC police will participate. The education group also plans to participate in SIU Law Day later in April.

For more information on the events, call (618) 549-5302 ext. 386, or e-mail studycircles@ ci.carbondale.il.us

Carbondale Conversations for Community Action is a program of the Carbondale Human Relations Commission.

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