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The Sunshine Economy: Cops And Communities

Credit Nadege Green / WLRN
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WLRN
Stella Starks of Liberty City high-fives Officer Daniel Mocombe after agreeing to participate in elderly programs at the neighborhood parks.

Cameras, social media and community policing are changing relationships between law enforcement and the people they are sworn to protect.

The City of Miami police department is among those working to combat negative perceptions and build trust in some of the neighborhoods hardest hit by violent crime.

In past years fatal police-involved shootings in predominantly black neighborhoods have hurt their efforts. Combine that with a historic mistrust of police.

To build bridges, Miami’s police chief is encouraging officers to engage with the communities they patrol beyond arrests and traditional law-enforcement actions.

Click on the links below to see a day in the life Miami resource officer, a story about what happens when an officer is caught on tape appearing to behave badly, and how residents perceive and interact with police.

And here, listen to the full hour-long special.

Officer Daniel Mocombe was followed by a police officer as a child because the officer thought Mocombe was riding a bike that wasn't his. Now, Mocombe carries that experience as a reminder of what not to do as a police officer in Liberty City.
BUILDING TRUST

Click to see photos of Officer Mocombe's workday as he patrols the neighborhood of Liberty City. Some highlights: taking high schoolers home, checking in on an elderly resident and helping kids with their reading.
A DAY ON PATROL

Earlier this year a video surfaced showing a Miami police officer appearing to jump on a handcuffed suspect in Liberty City. Residents of the Liberty Square projects said it wasn't the first time something like that happened, but it was the first time someone had a camera to capture it.
USE OF FORCE

In October 2015, participants of a workshop in Liberty City aimed to imagine the community without police. The topic raised some eyebrows on social media, but organizers said it was meant to tackle the root causes of problems that lead to interaction with the criminal justice system.
NO POLICE?