REAL LIFE SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE POLICE AND
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
“Dear Dwayne, “Thank you for writing. There are too many places in America where communities of color feel unfairly targeted by police and where police departments feel unfairly attacked for doing their jobs…I recognize these fears and frustrations are deeply felt—they are rooted in realities that have existed for a long time. But I’ve witnessed our Nation make tremendous progress in my own life, and I still believe we are not as divided as we may seem.” – President Barack Obama
The current climate of police and community relations is very tense. From George Floyd and Breonna Taylor to Ahmaud Arbery and Elijah McClain, seemingly every week, the media captures another story of a police officer’s use of deadly excessive or unreasonable force. Police officers have also been the target of random attacks and shootings, which has further reinforced the level of distrust between the police and communities.
Whether it is police against community or community against police, this chaotic relationship will prove detrimental to our communities if we continue in this manner.
“I sincerely believe our communities and police need each other,” says Dwayne Bryant. “However, if we don’t make a mutual commitment to foster honest and open dialogue and improve our efforts to bridge the gap to create a positive relationship, I am concerned that our society is headed in an irreversible direction.”
Bryant, a renowned motivational speaker, who has spent the last two decades educating over 30,000 students, parent and teachers on police and community relations, is the author of The STOP: Improving Police and Community Relations, which supports the values of mutual respect, shared responsibility and personal accountability, ensuring institutions that create, apply and enforce the law – from congress to the courtroom to the police – are an integral part of building a sustainable relationship with community and authority.
With a letter to Bryant from President Barack Obama and forewords by Lee Brown, PhD, former Police Chief and Mayor of Houston, TX and former Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and David R. Bursten, Captain, Chief Public Information Officer, Indiana State Police, The STOP aims to inspire and empower individuals to look beyond initial thoughts of fear with police encounters and discover strength in resolving strained situations.
Bryant, an Alumni of the FBI Citizen’s Academy and Community Advisor for COPA (Civilian Office of Police Accountability), shares seven real-life personal encounters with law enforcement from his childhood into adulthood. With compelling narratives, research and humor, The STOP will:
- Teach youth how to interact with police in a respectful manner
- Encourage thought-provoking conversations and intelligent action between families, communities and law enforcement
- Provide framework for parents, teachers and community leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue with youth about their expectations in life
- Offer practical solutions to bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement, creating a positive relationship
“Before you change your world, you must change your vision,” continues Bryant. “I named this book The STOP for two reasons: first, because I want to encourage everyone to stop and think in any situation, confrontational or not. A positive outcome goes a long way for our community and nation; and second, The STOP is about more than just a police stop. It stands for Support the Teaching Of Principles.”
DWAYNE BRYANT is an internationally renowned speaker, best-selling author, educational consultant, trainer and Alumni of the FBI Citizen’s Academy. Known for his high-energy, unique ability to connect to an audience, keen intellect and wit, Bryant fuels audiences by sharing his credo of hard work, perseverance, integrity, and applied faith, which are the keys to his success.
He is the Founder and CEO of Inner Vision International, Inc., which provides various education institutions with results oriented social emotional mentoring services, including eLearning with DB. He is sought after by corporations, nonprofits and academic institutions for his proven ability to offer step-by-step resources to audiences on how to unlock their unlimited power.
Bryant has been a three-time guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show, correspondent for Next TV, host the Unity breakfast for The Obama Presidential Library and has been featured on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and PBS networks for his impactful work throughout various communities.
He received a proclamation from the Pennsylvania State Legislatures for his book, The STOP: Improving Police and Community Relations. Recognizing his work for creating solutions to improve police and community relations, Bryant received EBONY Magazine’s EBONY Power 100’s “Community Crusader” Award.
For more information, please visit, www.DwayneBryant.com and connect with Dwayne on Facebook @dwayne.bryant.39, Twitter @iamdwaynebryant, and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwayne-bryant-9484083b/
THE STOP: Improving Police and Community Relations is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
