Thursday, the Miami Heat announced a partnership with the Miami Police Department aimed at positively impacting interactions between law enforcement and minority communities.
The partnership, in conjunction with the national non-profit Dedication to Community, will help administer specialized training aimed at building trust and addressing implicit bias and racism.
“We recognize both the opportunity and the obligation to utilize our platform to serve as a bridge between law enforcement and the community,” said HEAT Group CEO Nick Arison. “We believe the key to making progress in the fight for social justice requires honest and ongoing difficult conversations leading to action.”
“Any training that allows us to grow further in the community is something that we’ll always be interested in. We have a great relationship with the community that we serve and we want to show them that we’re committed to keeping that trust,” added Miami Police Department Chief Jorge Colina.
The partnership will begin with a pilot program training several officers with a long term goal of training many, if not the entirety, of the Miami Police Department.
"Dedication To Community is excited about this first-of-its-kind partnership," said founder and CEO M. Quentin Williams. "Communities across the globe are calling for action, and this collaboration offers new and creative ways to evolve society beyond just rhetoric. This is what action looks like."
