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Tacoma's 'Project Peace' Aims To Improve Police Relationship With Community

Brian Cox
/
City of Tacoma
Tacoma City Councilwoman Victoria Woodards and Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell launch Project Peace.

The City of Tacoma has launched a program to improve the relationship between police and the community. Project Peace will involve a series of meetings to be held over the next several months. The plan is that, with the help of facilitators, people will sit down with police and brainstorm how best to improve trust.

At a news conference in downtown Tacoma on Tuesday, Police Chief Don Ramsdell said he especially wants to meet with people who’ve had negative experiences with cops. Project Peace is a pro-active reaction to recent tensions around the country over shootings by police, he said. 

“Basically, we want to be able to build relationships before something bad happens,” Ramsdell said. 

Community activist Shalisa Hayes, who works with young people through the Billy Ray Foundation, was at the kick off for Project Peace. She says she hopes the dialogue will make a difference.

“Too often, people who’ve had negative experiences tend to feel like their voice isn’t heard and I think this opens that door.” Hayes said.

She sees it as police offering an olive branch. “We just have to get people to grab onto that branch and go to the meetings,” she said.
 
Tacoma City Councilwoman Victoria Woodards said city officials want to hear from folks who may feel disenfranchised with the law enforcement system.

Here’s the Project Peace schedule:

  • Sept. 14 Asia Pacific Cultural Center (4851 S. Tacoma Way.)
  • Oct. 05 Lincoln High School Cafeteria (701 S. 37th St.)
  • Oct. 21 University of Puget Sound Wheelock Student Center (1500 N. Warner St.)
  • Oct. 29 Centre at Norpoint Cascade Hall (4818 Nassau Ave. NE)
  • Nov. 09 Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center (1500 Broadway)

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and facilitated conversations are from 5 to 8:45 p.m. Activities will be provided for children.

Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.