Breathing Together

There is a social disconnect between many law enforcement officers and the communities that they are sworn to serve.

Many citizens live in fear of unlawful prosecution based on their race, and a general distrust of law enforcement is shared and reenforced by images of police brutality being widely circulated via digital media (Benner).

In addition, law enforcement officers can harbor fear and distrust of members of the communities that they serve.

This mutual fear and distrust between police officers and the general community can lead to the unnecessary escalation of routine police encounters.

Routine police encounters do not need to lead to violence.

Breathing Together is an initiative that aims to heal the damaged relationships between law enforcement officers and the populations that they serve.

Breathing Together advocates for the third party counseling and mediation of legal disagreements between police officers and citizens before misunderstandings escalate to violence.

Breathing Together advocates for an increased accessibility to mental health counselors for law enforcement officers, as well as community members living in fear of police brutality.

Breathing Together also creates opportunities for law enforcement officers and members of the community to make personal connections by organizing community-building events that will help bridge differences between law enforcement and the community. 

Breathing Together helps law enforcement officers obtain a better understanding of the communities they serve by participating in community-building activities with the communities they serve.

By engaging in constructive, community-building activities Breathing Together hopes to create positive social change by easing the tensions between law enforcement officers and citizens. Breathing Together can reduce instances of police brutality, and increase community participation in investigating criminal activity. 

Benner, K. (2019, July 16). Eric Garner’s Death Will Not Lead to Federal Charges for N.Y.P.D. Officer.

The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/nyregion/eric-garner-case-death-daniel-pantaleo.html