Alachua County Police Leaders to Hold Community Engagement Forum at Library Headquarters
On October 19 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm, at the Alachua County Library District Headquarters, local police leaders will hold a community engagement event.
The event will have opening and closing remarks from Faye Williams and Dr. Zoharah Simmons, an elder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a primary civil rights group during the movement against racial segregation in the 1960s.
Attendees of the event will hear from Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott, High Springs Police Department (HSPD) Chief Antoine Sheppard and Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Chief Nelson Moya.
GPD Major Jamie Kurnick was recently added to the lineup.
There will be a question and answer forum, indicated by the flyer having a Q&A symbol.
The original flyer for the event posed the questions, “Can we talk?” and “Can we love each other?” It doesn’t appear this flyer is being distributed anymore.
The new flyer does not feature the question, “Can we love each other?” The new flyer maintains the “Can we talk” theme while featuring the specific topics that will be discussed.
The new flyer shows that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be among the topics of discussion, along with mental health, education and gun violence.
The event will feature musical performances, a film screening and food and drinks.
According to a Facebook page promoting the event, Scott is “known for his commitment to transparency, mental health awareness, and authentic community policing.”
The Facebook page states Moya “leads GPD with a focus on gun violence prevention, officer wellness, and rebuilding public trust.”
The Facebook page states Sheppard is an “advocate for fairness, modernization, and strong community partnerships.”
With ICE on the table of discussion, Kurnick may bring a unique voice to the table, as she is a core member of the Gainesville Immigrant Inclusion Initiative, according to the group’s website.
According to the ICE website, HSPD and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office have signed 287g agreements to partner in immigration enforcement, while GPD has not.
The event will be held in room A of the Library HQ (401 E. University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601).
