SAN ANTONIO — Intense, loud and quick-changing scenes unfolded Saturday morning at an event involving community members and police, and while they were only an approximation of real threats, those involved hoped they would open new dialogue.
Troy Smith, a retired police officer and chief deputy for the Bexar County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, said he hopes the Walk a Mile In My Shoes workshop could be something to learn from. It involves law enforcement and members of the community switch places so they get a new perspective.
The event was held at the Second Baptist Community Center.
“The community gets to see the police as human beings, the police get to see the community as human beings, and they build that relationship," Smith said.
Smith has been hosting the workshop since 2016 in hopes of creating a dialogue between the police and those they serve. This is the first event connected to the initiative that was held since the pandemic began, and since the police killing of George Floyd.
“So I give both sides the opportunity to continue doing that together, growing together, and then we won’t have these problems because guess what? If I know you, I’m more willing to deal with you," Smith said.
It’s also an opportunity to see things from a different perspective and find solutions. Regis Price, a participant and president of a nonprofit called the Agape Group, said he enjoyed the workshop.
"It really just gave me a different mindset, a whole total different mindset. Just because I could feel it too," Price said.
Because when it comes to community, Price said it takes both sides coming together.
“These people need us just as much as we need them," Price said.
For more information on the workshop, visit the Winners Circle Tactical Solutions website.