Marietta police are teaching Cobb County area church pastors what it’s like to be in their shoes.
The police department reached out to more than 50 churches in the area.
They want to build a relationship with leaders in the community to help them understand what it’s like for the men and women who put on a uniform, get in their squad cars and set out to do their job.
“Just getting the mindset of training and how they train and certain trained situations and see it from their point of view,” said the Rev. Kenny Day with One Church.
Organizers say they want to avoid some of the situations we have seen surrounding police shootings across the country.
“It’s a great example of the bond that needs to be forged between the police department and community and what better way to reach out to the faith-based leaders to make sure that relationship continues to grow,” said Sgt. Ben Mixon with the Marietta Police Department.
Some of the topics they covered include the police shootings in Ferguson, Missouri and Charleston, South Carolina.
“We’ve talked about high profile cases like Ferguson, Baltimore and other cases and just looking for context like why do police officers make the decisions they make when working on the road. We are able to give them that,” said Sgt. Mixon.
The Rev. John Woods of the Union Chapel United Methodist Church used to be in the criminal investigations and traffic unit with the Atlanta Police Department. He says this is essential for community policing and next week he will join his classmates in Marietta’s police simulator.
“Shoot, don't shoot. I heard them say that so it brings back a lot of past memories because I think our police department was one of the first shoot, don’t shoot, so I’m looking forward to see if I have the same skills,” said Woods.
We plan on sending a photographer to let you know how these pastors do. This is the second pastor academy and this class will graduate in mid-October.
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