Episode 272 | Just Building Trust Between Police and their Communities

Original Release Date: December 22, 2023

In episode four of our National Case Closed Project: Supporting Best Practices in Investigation season, Just Science sat down with Michael McKissic, founder of the Mikey23 Foundation, Reverend Rodrick Burton, St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition’s Chairperson for Public Safety, and Dr. Stacy Sechrist, Research Public Health Analyst at RTI International, to discuss the importance of building trust between law enforcement and community members and ultimately improving gun violence investigations.

In many cities in the United States, there has been growing mistrust between law enforcement and the communities they serve, which can negatively impact violent crime investigations and public safety. In response, community organizations are working to bridge the gap between law enforcement and community members to form connections that are rooted in love and understanding. Listen along as Mike, Reverend Burton, and Dr. Sechrist describe recommendations for law enforcement to positively engage in their communities, how to navigate anti-snitching sentiments and fears of retaliation, and the importance of police reaching out to victims’ families after a homicide.

This episode is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (Award No. 15PBJA-21-GK-04008-JAGP). This project is supported by Grant No. 15PBJA-21-GK-04008-JAGP awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Some content in this podcast may be considered sensitive and may evoke emotional responses, or may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

Just Science · Just Building Trust Between Police And Their Communities

Listen/Download at: Apple Podcasts Stitcher Soundcloud Spotify Google Podcasts

View/Download episode transcript here: Transcript

Episode Citation

Brinton, J., Sechrist, S., McKissic, M., & Burton, R. (2023, December 22). Just Science. Just Building Trust Between Police and their Communities. [Audio podcast episode]. U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance. https://forensicrti.org/just-science-episode-272/

Related Resources

If your agency is interested in participating, please send an email to caseclosed@rti.org.

Guest Biography

Stacy Sechrist is a Research Public Health Analyst within RTI’s Justice Practice Area. Dr. Sechrist joined RTI in 2022. She has dedicated most of her professional career to the study of interpersonal violence and violent crime reduction. Dr. Sechrist is the Community Assessment Lead for the National Case Closed Project. She is also the Project Director and Qualitative Data Lead in an expansion of the National Case Closed Project, known as Project CLEARS (Community-Law Enforcement Alignment to Resolve Shootings), designed to include additional research with community-based organizations and residents about how they can work with local law enforcement agencies and how they can participate in shooting investigations. Dr. Sechrist is also the site lead for three Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) case study sites and is contributing to dissemination efforts for the national PSN outcomes study. Prior to joining RTI, Dr. Sechrist worked for nearly 13 years with the North Carolina Network for Safe Communities (NCNSC) at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Her work with NCNSC included several grant-funded projects where she collaborated closely with community and campus partners, including law enforcement, resource providers, practitioners, and community members, to provide research/evaluation and training and technical assistance support.

Michael McKissic is the founder of the Mikey23 Foundation in Lansing, Michigan. The Mikey23 Foundation is in memory of Michael McKissic, II. Michael “Mikey” was 23 years old when he was tragically taken from the world. He worked for the family construction business, McKissic Construction. Like his father and grandfather before him, Mikey had a passion for the work. The mission of the Mikey23 Foundation is to improve the lives of young people through innovative education and training in the area of skilled trades, thereby empowering young people to reach their full potential.

Reverend Rodrick Burton is the Senior Pastor of the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church and serves as the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition’s Chairperson for Public Safety. Within this role Reverend Burton works with state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies as well as non-profits and hospitals addressing gun violence in the St. Louis area. Most recently, Reverend Burton has started serving on the steering committee for a newly proposed regional violence reduction effort sponsored by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Episode 272 | Just Building Trust Between Police and their Communities

Share this post