The Center for Children’s Law and Policy, along with the Kinston Police Department, will co-host a one-day training and workshop on racial and ethnic disparities and their effect on the relationship between law enforcement and the communities it serves on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 902 Church, 2009 Carey Road, Kinston.

Entitled, “Action to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) in Juvenile Justice,” this training will address the need to focus on racial and ethnic disparities, the historical context and its causes, with the objective of creating strategies for its total eradication.

The training is the basis of developing an equitable community-policing strategy that focuses on positive relationship-building, according to KPD Chief Alonzo Jaynes.

“Meaningful relationships built on trust will reduce crime, help educate the public about laws and their rights, and increase compliancy, and community safety” said Jaynes, who noted that implicit bias is a barrier to successful relationship-building.

Jaynes insists this work must begin and continue not just for the sake of Kinston residents but society at large. Jaynes explained that steps toward eradication start with productive conversations about race, honesty about the causes of RED, review of data to identify disparities and development of a strategic plan with the community.

Workshop participants will discuss those topics, as well as strategies for meaningful family and community engagement and the obstacles that prevent successful relationship building.

Additional RED Reduction collaborators are Lenoir County Public Schools, the Lenoir County NAACP, the Guardian Ad Litem program, the Lenoir Department of Social Services, the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office, Kinston Public Housing Authority, the Neuse Regional Lenoir County Public Library,  Southeast Community Resources, the Kinston Community Relations Team, Kinston Teens and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council of Lenoir County.