The Garner Police Department ’ s Barbershop Rap Sessions offer valuable community engagement opportunities .
Night Out , traffic control with annual parades , and other events as needed .
Barbershop Rap Sessions
The Garner Police Department partnered with two local barber shops to help build bridges between law enforcement and communities of color . This was done through a coordinated effort with various facilitators to include Tru Pettigrew , founder and president of Tru Access .
The purpose of the barber shop rap sessions is to create relationships with multicultural community members through dialogue about community and police related issues . Our hope is to not only continue this initiative with our current barber shops , but to expand to other locations , to continue to collaborate with various community partners , and build a stronger and more inclusive community for the residents of Garner .
Civic Organizations
Members of the Garner Police Department serve as volunteer members , leaders , and officers of a number of civic organizations in the town , including the Civitan Club , Optimist Club , the Garner Educational Foundation , and the Rotary Club . Many of our employees also serve as volunteer coaches and mentors in area sports leagues and after-school programs .
Membership in these organizations allows our personnel and members of the community to become better affiliated with one another outside of normal police interactions . It also allows our employees to demonstrate community leadership outside of their roles with the department .
Garner PAAL
The Garner Police Athletic / Activities League ( PAAL ) is a youth crime prevention program that utilizes educational , athletic and recreational activities to create trust and understanding between police officers and youth . It is based on the conviction that young people — if they are reached early enough — can develop strong positive attitudes towards police officers in their journey through life toward the goal of maturity
GARNER POLICE DEPARTMENT 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 17