Norwich — Asked by members of the Norwich NAACP youth council how youths could become more involved in improving relations between the police and the community, police Chief Patrick Daley told them to do more of what they did Thursday evening.
Members of the NAACP Robertsine Duncan Youth Council hosted an hourlong forum Thursday with police and city leaders that started with prepared questions and progressed to a frank discussion about the distrust of police felt by some youths of color.
“Getting a conversation at a certain age about how to handle a situation when the police approach you because of something like the color of your skin,” youth council member Joceline Rodrigues said. “We’re taught, hands on the wheel, or on the dash, don’t reach for anything, somehow stand your ground, but somehow be more submissive to protect yourself.”