Session three of this webinar series was held on Wednesday, December 1, at 1:00 p.m., ET, and focused on innovative methods to engage with community partners to understand issues and work together to reduce crime and protect communities.

The session featured a unique panel of law enforcement leaders and interviews with nationally recognized National College Athletic Association (NCAA) coaches who have worked to form innovative partnerships between local police officers and student athletes. They discussed methods to create meaningful and constructive relationships to bridge gaps in trust and understanding while protecting communities and reducing crime. They shared their personal experiences with the police and ways in which they have influenced and coached young student athletes to approach the complex issues surrounding policing and society.

The interviews included:

• Dawn Staley, Head Coach of the women’s basketball program at the University of South Carolina.
• Randy Shannon, Senior Defensive Analyst for Florida State University’s football program and former Head Coach of the University of Miami Hurricanes football team.

The session also included a panel discussion with:

• Chief Ed Hudak, Coral Gables, Florida, Police Department, home to the University of Miami.
• Sheriff Leon Lott, Richland County, South Carolina, home to the University of South Carolina.

They discussed their unique partnerships with the coaches to address contemporary police issues and work together to protect their communities.

The second panel focused on research regarding community engagement and effective community partnerships. It featured:

• Justin Nix, Ph.D., Distinguished Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

• Chief Shon Barnes, Madison, Wisconsin, Police Department.

Chief Barnes, a nationally recognized leader in police-community relations and a former Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholar with the National Institute of Justice, and Professor Nix shared their research on effective community policing programs.