See you in a month. I just left orlando. I thought i left you behind, but here you are. And i want to recognize that when i look to my right and my left, you are often standing there. So your commitment to Law Enforcement and your commitment to the communities that they serve does not go unrecognized. It really is a testament to your leadership. So thank you for being in the house again. Its always good to have you here. So, this is our third year of having the weekend to conference here at the museum press conference here at the museum. I say it every year, this is the perfect backdrop for this launch. On one side of this campus, we honor the fallen. On this side of the campus, we honor the stories, the amazing story of american Law Enforcement. What put covid altogether is our safety and wellness program, our efforts that we may to try to keep names off the memorial wall. Every Successful Initiative has to have an incredible leader. And todays initiative that we are talking about is National Faith and blue weekend. And i could not be more honored than to introduce the incredible leader, the passionate leader, the leadership that is needed to make an Initiative Like this come to fruition, ladies and gentlemen, reverend hutchins. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, let me say first thank you to all of you for being here, most especially to the national Law Enforcement officer Memorial Fund and museum, and sec. Mayorkas, and all of our partners here. Three years ago, like many of you in Law Enforcement and communities across this country, i began to be very concerned about the tone and tenor of some of the communities response to Law Enforcement involved tragedies. When i started to see folks in one corner yelling our lives matter, people in a different corner yelling it, i knew that we were headed in the wrong direction, because we have never progressed as a nation, when we segregate or separate ourselves from one another. I believe in social justice. I believe in civil rights. I believe in human rights. I was meant toward by all of the icons at work very closely worked very closely with Martin Luther king jr. , including his wife and so many others. What made the Civil Rights Movement great was it was not across one race, or pleas from one group of people, it was black and white together. We will overcome. If we are to overcome the tensions that we see, we are to stop attacks on our Law Enforcement professionals. If we are to see a decline in officer involved tragedies, it will only happen because we have the the courage to stand one with another, across our differences. Because when we do that, mr. Secretary, we all find that there is more that unites us together than there is that divides us. What we are hearing too much in this country at this moment is what dr. King called the vocal minority, doctor can used to talk about the difference in the silent majority and the vocal minority. Communities of color like every other Community Want to be policed with fairness and justice. But black and brown communities are not antiLaw Enforcement. More than 90 of white americans more than 80 of hispanic and African Americans wants the same or more Law Enforcement want the same or more Law Enforcement. But what we have been hearing is that those are minorities, who want to demonize Law Enforcement, want to defund the police, when in doing so they hurt the most vulnerable communities among us. As a civil rights leader, i am most disappointed when i hear someone say that defunding the police is a pathway forward. We need more resources, focus on Mental Health. We need more resources, focused on alternatives to incarceration. But we need to lift our nations Law Enforcement professionals up, not tear them down. And i knew that we needed to do something dramatic and significant in this country. So in april of 2020, i asked the u. S. Department of justice, here with us today, to stand with us, in convening every Single NationalLaw Enforcement organization in this country. They all came together. I did not realize that it had never happened before. But we brought all of them together for one purpose, to build bridges, to build bridges between cops and communities of every kind. To build bridges between our nations Law Enforcement officers and our citizens and residents in our local communities. To build bridges between those who jesus called the least of these, and those who were sworn to protect and serve them. I was reared in atlanta, mr. Secretary. I lived some of the largest protests, marches, and demonstrations in atlantas history. Im honored to be joined by our immediate past police chief in atlanta, rodney bryant. Chief rodney bryant. About five years ago, after serving as a civil rights leader leading many marches in atlanta, the Atlanta PoliceDepartment Said to me, we want to put you in the shoes of a Law Enforcement professional. One of the big tv stations in atlanta did a big story on it. And what i experienced going through that Law Enforcement academy, every public voice that speaks to Law Enforcement issues ought to have that experience. Too often, we dont see what we think we see. My message to the American People now is the time to turn to each other, but not on each other, now is the time to stand up and be counted. Now is the time to lift our Law Enforcement professionals up from 2020 to 2021. The number of Law Enforcement officers that died in the line of duty doubled in a single year. All the while, Law Enforcement agencies are having a difficult time retaining and attracting new talent, while crime and violence in our most vulnerable communities is escalating. We need a new direction. We need a new path. And that pathway to progress focuses on partnerships. Partnerships that unite us together, instead of dividing us. Thats why we organize National Faith blue weekend, with all of our Law Enforcement professionals, we launch faith we launched faith blue for the first time in october of 2020. In the midst of the pandemic, in the midst of the outcry and the protest of that summer, there were more than 1,000 communitybased event across 43 states in this country. In year two, last year, there were more than 2,000 Community Engagements in all 50 states, plus washington, d. C. In the span of three years, this effort has become the largest and most consolidated Police Community outreach project in American History. Thats a testament to these Law Enforcement agencies. And associations. They are here today, to extend an olive branch to the American People. They are here today to issue a call for help. For support, for unity, for collaboration. We have no idea when we started this just how much the nation needed it. My challenge to every Faithbased Community and organization, its not enough to hang a sign outside your door. A sign outside of your door. Youve got to invite Law Enforcement professionals inside to have a conversation. There is not a problem in this country, mr. Secretary, that we cannot solve. If we have the courage to sit together, and reason together, and converse together. Today, we announce the second, the third faith weekend friday, october 7, through monday, october 10. Law enforcement agencies, large and small, in every state in this country, will hold communitybased events, where they focus the attention of their community on the need to actually solve problems. What we need more than anything else is to sit together and figure out a pathway forward. The answer to the challenges we face at this moment when it comes to crime, retention, and when it comes to tension, and when it comes to officer involved tragedies, the answer will not just be printed in legislation or on executive order, an executive order, and it cannot be taught in the academy. The answers lie in the hearts and minds of every resident and every local community and every Law Enforcement officer in this community. Thats what we need. What killed george floyd was not flawed policy. The officer violated the policy. There is a lot of talk in this moment about the need for reform, and i believe there is a need for some standardization, summary formation and certainly some innovation in Law Enforcement. But the biggest need for reform when it comes to policing is relational reformation. We need to get our Law Enforcement professionals and our Community Residents to relate to one another. As humans, with shared values, as sisters and brothers, with shared interests. So today, i join with all of our national Law Enforcement partners, in all 50 states. We call upon every Law Enforcement agency to get involved. Get out into the community. Host events over the weekend. And show the community that we are not as divided as we are disconnected. I call upon every faithbased organization, every communitybased organization to come together with your Law Enforcement professionals. Lets build these bridges. Because if there has ever been a time where our nation needed and deserved this leadership, that moment is now. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and privilege to welcome to the podium now the honorable secretary of the u. S. Department of Homeland Security, alejandro mayorkas. Mr. Secretary. [applause] secretary mayorkas the first thing i will do is lower the microphone considerably. [laughter] good morning, and thank very much, for inviting me to join you. Faith and blue seeks to bring Law Enforcement agencies and faithbased organizations together to effectively safeguard our communities across the country. It is an initiative that is based on a core principle that our safety and security are best achieved, when we work in partnership with one another. When in the service of our communities, we ourselves work as a community together. The department of Homeland Security is a department of partnership. One of our key roles is to equip our communities to be safe and secure. We fulfill that role by working with Law Enforcement professionals, faithbased organizations, residents, businesses, and committed to groups. Community groups. We are proud to be a member of the partnership, and i am proud to be here with you today. We live in an extremely challenging time. A time when the balance of trust between our communities in Law Enforcement are afraid, and the Threat Landscape is dynamic. In our increasingly interconnected society, trust is a key element of achieving public safety. The reality is that we can only strengthen and rebuild the bonds of trust by our actions. We are working with all of you, in partnership with you, in a number of different ways. We share information and intelligence with you. Seeking to reach the broadest audience possible, at the lowest classification level possible. Since early last year, we have issued over 100 unclassified intelligence products and issued six national bulletins that describe and contextualize for the public the evolving threat environment in which we live. Our Nonprofit Security Grant Program supports security enhancements, planning, and training for nonprofit organizations and places of worship at risk of terrorist attack. This year, we are providing 250 million, an increase of 70 million over the last year. Through our emergency grant response programs, we have increased our funding to Law Enforcement agencies by more than 50 million as well. Tragedies in buffalo and others involved individuals who were exhibiting signs of decline. We realize there is a critical need for prevention. We are developing programs and resources to enable faithbased organizations, schools, hope your services, long, school officials, friends and neighbors and others in the community to build their capacity to prevent violent acts from happening in the first place. We in the department of Homeland Security are bringing critical stakeholders together. Faith blue is a parallel effort that, through all of our presence here today, proves to be a powerful vehicle in the service of partnership and the safety and security our partnership is designed to achieve. We need to work as a community to address the threats to our community. Trust is essential to our success. Thank you to faith blue for bringing us one step closer. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you, mr. Secretary. This effort would not be possible without the support of the sponsors that sponsor faith blue weekend. They give us the opportunity to service and support every Law Enforcement agency in this country with the resources. You can find those at www. Faith blue. Org. Www. Faith blue. Org. Our sponsors are the Motorola Solutions foundation and at t. To speak about our sponsor support, i want to welcome the executive Vice President and coo of Motorola Solutions, followed by the Vice President of federal regulatory for at t, the Parent Company of first net. [applause] thank you. The creation of safer cities and thriving, equitable communities are at the core of Motorola Foundation solutions purpose. We fundamentally believe the communities are safer when those who are called on to serve and protect and those that they actually serve continue to build communication and collaboration. That is why we are so honored to support the National Faith blue weekend in its third year. I would also like to acknowledge all of the Law Enforcement leaders, agencies, and associations they represent as well as the faithbased leaders here today. I would also be remiss not to acknowledge Movement Forward, and the leadership of reverend hutchins, who has been a tremendous catalyst for change. The event that will unfold here will create critical connections within our communities. I think most importantly, foster the dialogue around policing, trust, safety. We know that this years National Faith blue weekend will continue to build momentum, and most importantly, serve as a mechanism for us to build stronger connections and a bridge between Law Enforcement and those that they serve. We are humbled and very proud to be here to support the third National Faith blue weekend. Thank you. [applause] good morning. A special thanks to our industry partner, Motorola Solutions,dery day. Part in every day to keep our communities safe. Doing the right thing without compromise underpins our level of values underpins all of our values, and it begins with how we communicate. Clear and Reliable Communications pave the way to a better future. Today, we are honored to help in bringing lawenforcement and faithbased communities together in a partnership to unite around our common interest. Pursuing interconnectedness and finding Common Ground can only push all of us to create a safer and better world. Thank you, reverend, for allowing us to be a part of faith blue. We look forward to what we can continue to do together for our communities. [applause] faith blue weekend is not a religious proposition. Its not about religion or sectarianism. There are 350,000 faithbased organizations in this country. More than 65 Million People participate in some form of faithbased Service Every week. When our Law Enforcement partners and sponsors and partners in the government were looking for a way to build these bridges in sustaining and in a sustaining and meaningful way, faithbased organizations emerged as the most likely vehicle for building those bridges, because they represent the demographics, the dynamics, culture, and tone and tenor of that community. There has never been a movement in American History for positive change that was not anchored in the faithbased space. And i believe that is why nearly every Law Enforcement agency in this countrys partner together for the first time in American History on a single Community Outreach project, the National Faith blue weekend. Leaders from many of our partners are here. Several will make remarks on behalf of their associations and they will come in this order. Entering the stage this way and exiting that we. That way. First, the president of a federal Law EnforcementOfficers Association. Followed by the president of the fraternal order of police. He will be followed by the president elect of hispanic officers command association. Followed by the immediate past president of the International Association of campus Law Enforcement administrators. He will be followed by the immediate past president of the International Association of chiefs of police. Iacp. He will be followed by the chief of the washington metropolitan Police Department. And i am going to ask the other major county chiefs to stand with him as he speaks, on behalf of major city chiefs. They will be followed by the president elect of the National Association of women Law Enforcement executives. She will be followed by the president of the National Organization of black Law Enforcement executives, who will be joined on stage by the immediate then president elect of noble. Finally, the chief of the the president of the National Sheriffs association, in that order. Good morning. Welcome, to those in attendance and those watching via livestream. Have the pleasure and the honor of being with the reverend and the faith and blue folks here. It is an honor for me and for our organization to have partnered up with faith blue and the reverend. I also want to thank marsha for posting this event. Marcia for posting this event. Like my father always told me as a child, when you have a negative, like the reverend was talking about earlier, when there is negative stuff going on in any community, whether its innercity, where i grew up, or the hinterlands, you have to turn it into a positive. He always told me, larry, when you are down and out and feeling negative, turn it into a positive, and thats what faith blue is all about. Turning it into a positive, bridging the gap between law between the Law Enforcement community at the state, local, or even federal level. The men and women i represent are doing a phenomenal job in assisting state and local partners bridging that gap. And thats whats important with faith blue. And partnering with the reverend, you are doing an outstanding job with your team, and im happy and proud to be a part of that with my team, because we know that that is beneficial not only to the communities that we serve, but also beneficial to the people we represent, because it makes them much safer. It gives them the ability to know the communities they serve, the communities they patrol, the communities they are helping protect from Violent Crime in america. And that is an Important Message to send to the men and women we lead, that we have your backs. 100 of the general public is behind you. Although there may be that 1 out there that turns around and tells you, the Law Enforcement guys are the bad guys, but thats not true, because when you need help, you called 911 when you need help, you call 911 and you ask for help. Faith blue is about bridging the gaps. I import those folks in the communities, if you are listening, please, help reach the cap. That gap. With the communities you live in. Bridge the gap with the Law Enforcement leaders in your community. It could be the regular Patrol Officer on the beat, in your neighborhood. Thank them for what theyre doing, help them out and support them. Thank you. [applause] good morning. Reverend, thank you, on behalf of the 364,000 members of the fraternal order of police, we are proud for this to be our third year in support of this program. Not far from here, across the street, you will find the names of over 23,000 men and women who showed up to work in support of their communities and did not return home at the end of their shift. And unfortunately, we find ourselves at a difficult time in our history. In the last two years, americas Law Enforcement has been demonized by many. It has created a rift in this country and eroded the trust of Law Enforcement. And we are paying for it, in our communities with higher crime, and also in Law Enforcement officers. So far this year, 210 officers have been shot this year. Thats an increase from last year. Something has to happen. One thing every american can rally behind, we all agree that america is united in the fact that we are concerned about crime in our communities and we want to be a part of the solution. And the poles support it. The polls support it. That solution starts with a simple conversation. Stop dehumanizing us, get to know each other on both sides of the issue. Together, there is not a single thing we cant solve if we Work Together. It is too important for us to not get this right. Were are honored to be a part of this. Thank you for the initiative of putting this together and thank you all for carrying this message. I want to signal a crisis that most of us recognized. We have a crisis in manpower. It is creating issues. Officers still show up every day to make a difference in peoples lives. The other side is the next wave. We need the next wave of people this can be a great catalyst for us to start the discussion with the next wave of Law Enforcement officers to become the community they want to be. I am honored to be here. A part of this. Thank you all for your attendance today. [applause] good morning. Welcome, everyone. Buenos dias. I am part of the Hispanic American Police commanders association. Hapcoa. As a Founding Member of the National Faith blue weekend, again, we proudly support the faithbased effort, as it lunches its Third National weekend event. The National Faith blue weekend continues to build upon a Solid Foundation that provides a path forward to better communities. Improved understanding, openness, and a common goal. Many members will support their designated departments and communities nationwide, as they sponsor a variety of activities that include cookouts, food pantries, School Supply handouts, concerts, festivals, and conversations between Community Leaders and public. And the public. The reverend touched on a couple of important topics. Relationships. So this is the opportunity for communities and Law Enforcement to get together in nontraditional ways. For persons, for the people to see officers as individuals. It is the nonconfrontational sitdown, have those conversations to if they dont have those relationships, to open them. If they have them, to further them, because thats what its important. Thats what its all about, is people. It helps in all kinds of measures. If you are in the field, you know that. That leads to all kinds of positives, in different ways, having the better relationships in the community. And we ask that everyone out there, we have our membership from coasttocoast participating. We already have commitments for this year. We are asking that everyone engage. The social media influencers, get the hashtags, whatever you come up with. This is important, make this happen. We appreciate the reverend, for all you do. Again, this is important. Its about public safety. This matters. This can really make a difference, reducing crime. It is one aspect of it. This communication, as others have touched on already. We appreciate being a part of this. Everyone, we ask that you become involved, and we appreciate the ability to be part of this. Thank you on behalf of hapcoa. I wish i could speak like you, reverend, but i put people to sleep. Im going to get out of here. Thank you. [applause] back up again. Greetings. I proudly serve the association of campus Law Enforcement administrators. As immediate past president. Our current president could not be with us today because he is moving his oldest son into his College Freshman dorm room, but he sends his heartfelt regards. Our Robust Association of 7,000 dedicated professionals representing over 1,000 institutions of Higher Education in 14 countries around the world is committed to global networking, problemsolving, and maintaining best practices. But simply put simply, we believe in working together and sharing resources to accomplish our collective goals. We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with National Faith blue weekend. This noble effort to rebuild stronger partnerships between houses of worship, communities, and Law Enforcement indices. We are improving, but we remain at a time of unprecedented cross roads in our country. With challenges on many fronts. We recognize that collaboration between Police Agencies and faithbased institutions will enhance trust in the communities we are all sworn to protect. As we take time to reflect upon the last few years, and prepare for the years ahead, police and faithbased leaders have a unique opportunity to be catalysts for positive change. By creating a culture of innovation through creative vision. Im confident that brighter days are ahead. Based on partnerships like faith blue, because they are committed to providing highquality, contemporary, forward thinking programs to assure we are aligned to rebuild trust and enhance accountability while forging a constructive path forward. I am humbled to stand here today, with our partnering organizations, to join faith blue to inspire communities to host mutual gatherings centered on service projects, athletic contests, picnics, forums and other activities that will result in positive engagement. I call upon the Police Chiefs of every university Police Department across the country to join in this noble effort. On a personal note, i have had the opportunity to work closely with reverend and his movement with the reverend and his Movement Forward team over the past year. In that capacity, i have witnessed his passion, enthusiasm, and tireless work ethic. I am honored to call him my friend. I thank you for your support as while as your well as your friendship, and i look forward to being stronger together because of this amazing outreach initiative. Thank you. [applause] good morning. I am the police chief in illinois and past president of the iacp. It is my honor to be here today in recognition of the third annual National Faith blue weekend. This is my third year here, and it has been truly amazing to witness the growth of this initiative, since its inception, and to see across the country local residents and Police Coming together to facilitate safer, stronger, more unified communities. We believe that trust and transparency between Law Enforcement and the people they serve is vital to Community Stability and effective policing. We are deeply committed to supporting communities in police supporting communities and police and their efforts to engage in effective dialogue, form partnerships, and identify meaningful solutions. The National Weekend offers a unique way to reinforce the collaboration and create a platform to build and strengthen the ties between communities and the police. We are pleased to be included in this Important Initiative and offer our continued support. On behalf of the 33,000 members in 168 countries, i want to thank you for organizing this important event, and i encourage every Law Enforcement agency in this country to do two things. Number one, go to this website. And number two, host an event because that is what its all about. Thank you. [applause] good morning. Im the chief of police for the metropolitan Police Department of washington, d. C. Today, i am representing the men and women, but also the major city Chiefs Association. We have been supportive and we have been a supportive and participating partner of faith blue since its inception and honored to strengthen relationships in 2022 by connecting with our community and faithbased institutions through this national event. The major citys Chiefs Association represents Police Associations from the largest counties across the country and canada and today i am joined by the chief of Fairfax County and baltimore county. They are all members of the Chiefs Associations. Our association was formed so that we could share ideas and experiences and strategies to improve policing in large urban areas. The ability to share our unique perspective and insights helped guide things such as department policy, training, and innovation. It allows for us to gain insight from Partner Agencies in their successful approaches in enhancing trust and communication in their communities. Because we know that mutual trust and respect between Law Enforcement and the public is a necessity, this trust makes city makes cities safer, and from my experience, engaging in relational policing is one of the best methods for building a strong bond between the community and Law Enforcement. Every encounter between an officer and the public is an opportunity to connect and establish a positive impression. This experience has a ripple effect, when we need to lean on communities for their assistance. We know they can be a tremendous asset in closing cases, providing intelligence, and extending services to our most vulnerable populations. The Association Recognizes that one of the most important relationships is in communities with faith leaders. Reverend, i want to extend a hearty thank you to you for being a visionary of such a wonderful initiative that is inclusive of not just communities, but also Law Enforcement agencies all around our country. They serve as trusted advisors to those in the community and can positively influence neighborhoods through conversation and action. The idea of the National Faith blue weekend initiative has been simple, yet effective. Facilitate collaborations between Law Enforcement and residence through established houses of worship in an effort to build safer, stronger, unified communities. Our faithbased partnerships can be a powerful motivator with addressing some of our most challenging issues. Together, we can highlight positive solutions, promote action, and build lasting connections. There will be a number of our agencies participating in this effort across the country, including my department the metropolitan Police Department in washington, d. C. It is my hope that each of the fellow agencies can show this united approach and serve as an inspiration for all. On behalf of the executive director of the major city Chiefs Association, we endorse the faith blue weekend this year, and we are excited to make this impactful weekend in the initiatives brief history of only three years. Congratulations. Thank you. [applause] just a quick note, more than 95 of the nations major cities participate in the faith blue weekend every year, and we are honored to have them. The sheriff, who is president of major county sheriffs, will come next followed by chief hawkins, District Attorney flynn , belinda goss johnson, and others. Thank you, reverend. God has blessed us with your presence at this difficult time in our country, and your advocacy, charisma, and willingness to exhaust all of your Political Capital in the faithbased leaders of this country has not been overlooked by any of us. Representing major county sheriffs of america, which is about 110 elected sheriffs of about 110 elected sheriffs of the counties of america representing 130 million u. S. Citizens, stands boldly behind the effort of faith blue. We recognize there is a strong emotional tie to the word hate. The only thing that comes to the emotional connection of the word hate is love. And that is exactly what this initiative is doing every single day in our communities. In some regards, when the policing profession is under attack, that is absolutely a false narrative, and its nice to see our faithbased leaders and partners, boldly saying that our citizens love our Police Officers. They love the service. As we sit here today, there are men and women walking the thin blue line, protecting our domestic and international freedom, asking for very little in return. What they ask for is a community that appreciates their service. That is what we are looking for, and that is what this initiative brings to us every day. If done properly, it brings it builds better communication. Communication leads to greater dialogue. Dialogue builds trust. And that is the path moving forward. I encourage every major county sheriff of america to promote and participate in these events. We will share on our websites, our social media all of these efforts, as we move forward. But again, reverend, thank you and your team for your advocacy, leadership, and the work that we do across this country is indeed gods work. Thank you so much. [applause] good morning. My name is chief gina hawkins, and i am the police chief in north carolina. I am honored to be here on behalf of the National Association of women Law Enforcement executives. Representing the president , our executive board, and all of our members. We were not only formed to support and promote women in the executives, but we recognize this is an opportunity to provide a forum for our community, regarding the exchange of information concerning Law Enforcement. Although i am here representing our group, as an executive, like many of my members, i also am a member of the other National Associations and organizations and executives in this forum today. So you ask, if we all stand together, why are there so many different Law Enforcement organizations . Well, that brings us to the purpose of the day. Because favor is not fair. If we were all treated the same, there would be no reason for so many different organizations to stand together. This is the basis of the crisis of our nation, and how some many how so many different people within our communities can feel so different and divided. As leaders, our differences are what makes us stronger. But our lack of intentionally seeking out to understand each other will just keep us divided and weak. We are here because of faith. Faith is an expression of hope and of something better. Dr. Martin luther king said, faith is taking the first step, even when you dont understand or see the entire staircase. We as an organization understand more than most the need of Relationship Building, in order to accomplish our goals. We understand it is about relationships, and building those relationships within our Community Starts with us. I personally have had the honor and privilege to have known the reverend for longer than three years. As a result of this National Faith blue. You see, the reverend, years ago, started one congregation initiative within the atlanta area, and it brought so many ideas to Law Enforcement executives. And i can provide clear personal testimony, regarding the impact of the quarterly forms i had in my community. So when i found out faith blue was starting three years ago, for an entire weekend of Relationship Building opportunities, it was too easy to join. You see, our communities are in a time of pain right now. From the increase of gun violence, the increase of Mental Health crisis throughout our communities, and the Intentional Movement of division and dissension going on in our nation, there is no better time than now to start planning for National Faith blue weekend in october. If you are in the criminal justice profession, you can no longer keep doing the same things you have been doing. If you are in the criminal justice profession, and you are not reaching out to your Faith Community members to have a conversation, you need to ask yourself, why . If you are in criminal justice and you believe your community does not need to build stronger relationships, than i am then i am speaking to the members of your community telling them to reach out to you to let you know that they do want stronger relationships. Faith without work is dead. So, this would be more than just a verbal checklist of commitment. You have to put in the work in a you have to put in the work, and National Faith blue makes it so easy with a comprehensive planning toolkit. Please reach out and start planning. Because i believe the reverends vision was to go globally. Thank you. [applause] good morning. My name is john flynn. I am the president of the National Attorney association and also the District Attorney of buffalo, new york. Erie county, new york. As i start all of my presentations, buffalo is the home of this years super bowl champion. [laughter] i want to thank the reverend, for inviting us to be here. I believe its important for prosecutors and District Attorneys to be part of this movement and endeavor. Gentlemen earlier a gentleman earlier used the word learn, as the main word for what this weekend can accomplish. Let me add a second word, trust. Without trust, none of us can do our job. Certainly, us prosecutors have a difficult time doing our job in this environment. As many a speaker have said, we are in perilous times. We are in times when individuals are attacking our profession. Including District Attorneys. And what i want to do, as part of this weekend, but in addition to this weekend, as part of my presidency, as a national District Attorney leader, is to fight back against this narrative. And this weekend of faith blue cannot only fight back against the narrative, it can build trust. Just remember that it is all of us in Law Enforcement, you, individually, your communities, your officers, along with prosecutors, who created the diversion course years ago. This notion that prosecutors, that all we want to do is put people in jail, is a false narrative. It is simply not true. We started a diversion course. We give people second chances, third chances, fourth chances every day as prosecutors. That is the message that needs to get out. Yes, we can be and need to be tough on crime, but on the other hand, we can give people a second chance. We can help individuals. That is why god gave us two hands. We can do both. And so, this weekend is a weekend to build that trust. So i encourage everyone out there, every community, city, and county to get involved. To have an event, to join this movement and join this this weekend, because in buffalo, new york, we are going to. We need it. As we all know, we had an unfortunate situation on may 14 in my city. And i am the District Attorney who is prosecuting that case. I will bring that case to justice. But more importantly, i need and all of us District Attorneys across the country need to build the trust. That is what this weekend does. Reverend, i want to thank you for all that you do. I want to thank every officer out here for all that you do, and all that your officers do every day. Because together, we can only we cannot only learn, but build that trust. God bless you all. Thank you, reverend. [applause] down again. Good afternoon. I bring greetings from the National Organization of black Law Enforcement executives. Noble was founded right here in washington, d. C. In 1976 by a group of Law Enforcement professionals, who were concerned about urban crime and the lack of promotional opportunities for africanamerican officers. So it always makes me feel good to be back. I went to Howard University here, as well. I am the National President of noble and a retired deputy chief. I would like to say that, unfortunately, one of our officers in detroit was killed last month, and his name will be inscribed on that wall. I didnt know lauren, but it was said he was a great officer. But i did know his dad, and i worked with his dad. Having initiatives like this lets the Community Know that we are not, as police, exempt from violence, as well. We at noble are excited to once again join the movement under the leadership of the reverend in support of National Faith blue weekend. With all of the tragic events especially those involving gun violence occurring in our country and in the world, the policing Community Must come together in a peaceful moment to work out Viable Solutions to combat this increasing violence in our community. The National Faith initiative offers many opportunities, dialogue, and toolkits. If you go to the website, you will find things that you can do in your communities to bring about this discussion between the community and the police. We applaud all of our fellow officers. Many of you that are here today, are peers and fellow organizations that are here, as we collectively participate in our community and Law Enforcement engagement in october, from october 7 through october 10. I was talking to a Committee Member last night, and she is preparing in detroit many activities around this faith initiative. I will pause because i want to acknowledge a couple things before a ramp. Our executive director, duane crawford, who many of you know is here. Also, we have one of our board members, stella thomas, right here in d. C. , and a chapter president , wesley thomas, who is here in the audience, raise your hand. I know he will put on an awesome faith in blue weekend here in d. C. , right . Ok. The network of approximately 50 chapters includes the d. C. Chapter throughout the country and internationally stand at the ready to support this faithbased initiative. We have already started that in detroit and many of our chapters throughout the country have also started the planning. Thank you for inviting me on behalf of noble. In closing, i would like to introduce Ronnie Bryant for brief remarks. He will be responsible for coordinating the faith in blue activities throughout all of our regions and chapters and i know it will be awesome. Thank you, madam president. I am the first Vice President of mobile and the chief of the city of atlanta. My perspective of this initiative is a little different because i remember the reverend from actually not just one church, one precinct, but prior to when he was leaving those Civil Rights Movement marches throughout the city and i can tell you that our relationship was quite different. We were more adversarial than we were relationship or the space we are in today. What we believe and what we recognize to be important is what he said early on. When you find out where we can Work Together and where we can build relationships, we can move better and i think that clearly, this opportunity, this initiative, has put us in this place. It is quite evident of what i see before me today. As the reverend spoke i remember the calls in the early stages of the one church, one precinct, being very resistant not because of the idea but it was that i was i could not see the forest for the trees. I remember telling him that we are already doing it. The city of Atlanta PoliceDepartment Already go to churches. But his perspective was much broader than mine. Clearly, his passion, his commitment. I will be remiss if i didnt say this, his passion and commitment for this initiative was consistent. He would always interject in that statement. Chief, this isnt about me. That is the most important part. That lets me know his heart and commitment was in the right place. That is why i am standing here before you. I believe in the initiative of this, that where you can get restitution for faithbased and Law Enforcement coming together to be for one idea, that is where we can merge the works we do to make our communities much better. Reverend hutchins, thanks so much. Madam president , thank you for allowing me to speak. [applause] good morning, actually, it is noon time. On behalf of the National Sheriffs association, we are honored to join with other national Law Enforcement agencies throughout the country. Today, as well as houses of worship and our citizens throughout our country. So, i want to thank excuse me. I want to thank reverend hutchins for his foresight and being a visionary behind a Movement Forward, and the National Faith in blue weekend. I also want to thank everyone who works behind the scenes, our sponsors, our cops office. As a department of justice. Our communities are stronger and safer when residents, eighthbased organizations, Law EnforcementWork Together, enhancing communities, building relationships, strengthening bonds in our communities. This is why National Faith in blue weekend is so important. Msa will encourage all sheriffs and deputies to encourage to participate in this National Faith in blue weekend. When i say, it is better to be a part of a community. Thank you very much, god bless. [applause] you have heard my name said a number of times. I want to be clear about something. My mother is at home watching. It is not about me. To god be the glory, and our communities be uplifted. I want to thank this team. I think i have the best staff in the world. They have done the difficult work of organizing, i want to thank each one of them for their efforts. I give a lot of credit, but my chief operating officer, jared feuer is a driving force on the organization. I am on the road speaking all the time and he keeps the wheels running. I want to say thank you to my brother, we are black and jewish combination. That is a force to be reckoned with. [laughter] [applause] ive got to say thank you to our partners at the u. S. Department of justice, the cops office as a Founding Partner in the faith and blue weekend. The acting director is with us, as is the senior advisor. I want to thank the attorney general, merrick garland, Deputy Attorney general and associate attorney general who ive spoken to and they are supportive, as is secretary mallorca in the department of security. I want to thank our sponsors, motorola and at t. We couldnt do our work without you and our Law Enforcement partners, and our local communities. We want to encourage every communitybased, faithbased organization to go to faithandblue. Org. It is a moment that will turn into a movement to drive down Violent Crime, drive down Police Involved tragedy, drive down the attacks on our Law Enforcement professionals. What we have seen over the last couple of years is a lot of protesting, a lot of marching on one another. I believe in marching. We have been marching in the wrong direction. The evidence is clear. There continues to be an escalation in incidents of Law Enforcement tragedies where Law Enforcement are hurt. There continues to be an increase on our Law Enforcement professionals. Police officers are leaving the profession more than before. Officer suicides are up, scrime is skyrocketing. We have been marching in the wrong direction. That is why i am committed to marching with Law Enforcement, because together is our only path forward. I want to thank our National Partner organizations who are here. I am going to ask the leaders of the National Association to join me on stage. This is why we are doing it. The American People are watching. When i was growing up, there were two things i was taught to preach about. There was one, hope, the other, faith. Hope suggests that we hope crime will decrease. Hope says we hope officer incidents will decrease. Hope says we hope that our communities will be less aggressive. Hope says that little boys and girls and communities of color will not be judged by the color of their skin, but the content of their character. Hope says that, i hope and wish that would happen. Faith is different. Faith says, i am not just going to help, i am going to get involved and make a difference. Faith says, the Solutions Lie within our communities, so we cannot just rely on hope. Faith calls us to work. Faith without works is dead. There is a difference between hope and faith. We have faith in one another, that faith is the substance of things that i hoped for. It is the evidence of things that are not seen. I believed like many in the community, like most of our faithbased organizations, the jewish, muslim, christian and other communities, i believe the answers lie within all of our Community Organizations. I want every faithbased, every Community Organization to go to faithandblue. Org. We need every Law Enforcement agency in the country to work with their faithbased organizations. All the tools and resources happen provided, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. At t and the Motorola Solutions foundation. We can do this if we have the courage and capacity to stand together. God bless you, and god bless our country. We will take questions from the press. All the easy questions, i will take the hard questions, chief officer will take. Yes. Is he still with the group . No. I had a question you might be able to answer about recruitment and retention. Is that part of the problem of recruitment and retention, how do you address that . Law enforcement agencies will not be able to recruit or retain or attract new talent if Police Officers continue to work under the situations and circumstances they are working under now. The stress and anxiety caused by the tensions we have seen have driven Law Enforcement professionals away. There is no way i will ask the chief to address this, as well as sheriff. There is no way to reduce crime, there is no way to attract new talent in Law Enforcement if we do not change the discussion and shift the narrative. Again, away from the point of conversation that divide us. Listen, we have issues to deal with. We cannot act like george floyd and Breonna Taylor and so many others did not happen. They did. The question is, how do we make those communities safer, stronger, more just and support lawenforcement at the same time . That is what faith and blue weekend is all about. That has to happen in every local neighborhood. It is great to have these National Organizations organizing. The answers are in the local communities. Right here. That is a great question about recruitment and retention. It is something the isc p has been discussing, we have been putting on seminars on that topic. There is no one reason why our profession is struggling with recruitment and retention right now. There is a variety of reasons, and it has not happened overnight. As the reverend was saying, all enforcement is local. When it comes to recruiting and retaining officers, that occurs on a local basis. Every community, which is why we are here today to talk about this every Community Needs to work with their local Law Enforcements and build these great relationships. That is going to drive recruitment and retention. Probably 35 years ago in one of my former agencies, when we advertised for Law Enforcement open position, we had 800 two 1000 applicants. Today, we have 50. That did not happen overnight. There are a lot of reasons. There are other jobs people are looking at. Law enforcement just does not hold the panache it does 20 years ago. We need leaders to connect with our community and recruit within our community, because that is where you are going to get your officers. Your own hometown. Thank you for the question on recruitment and retention. We look at policing as the significant challenge right now. People are attracted to this business because they had a heart to serve, they want love and appreciation from the recipients of that service. When there is a false narrative out there, and many regard a radical narrative that wants to defund the police or allow cities across the country to engage in total lawlessness, your goodquality Police Officers will find a different way to serve. They will go to the military, serve in the church, they will find another calling. That, maybe not today, but years down the road when it is those people that you have to too advanced to Senior Leadership within those policing organizations, you are going to have a big problem on your hands. The good news is, the narrative is starting to shift. Some of the people who were the strongest advocates of defunding the police are changing their position because they have seen the Violent Crime rise in major cities across america. When you look at states like florida, we are attracting good, qualified people. Sometimes because of the incentives we offer, but mostly because the communities are not bashful about offering their support and commitment of the men and women that are serving as heroes. We are incredibly blessed. It is organizations and advocacys like what we are hearing today that spark an interest in peoples minds that say, i am going to do it. As leaders of the major policing organization, and every organization across america, we have to be the ones to change that narrative. I went into a large group of sheriffs across the country. I asked, by show of hands, how many of you are encouraging your sons, daughters, children, to get into this business . There were not enough hands raised in the room. We can do better than this. Any other questions . Yes. Absolutely. [indiscernible] [inaudible] for those of you who may not have heard the question, what are we doing on College Campuses to assure the parents we are keeping kids safe. Most major universities have made a significant investment in Campus Safety. The jean clary act requires us to be more transparent. We have a unique opportunity in campus policing to not just be a part of the Law Enforcement profession, but the Educational Mission of the university. Most universities have students come around from all around the world, they bring their own unique experiences with policing where they come from. We embrace that opportunity to be part of the Educational Mission to make sure that our students understand we are there to protect them, not necessarily to arrest them. Campus policing, arrest is usually the last resort. We prefer to do things with educational intervention. College campuses are much more prepared than major cities, we have Emergency Notification systems, lockdown drills. The universities made the investment in leadership and training and equipment to make sure that we are prepared. I often say, we are always training to be prepared for the worst and hoping for the best. At the end of the day, we are held accountable under a microscope under the jean clary act title ix. Universities take that seriously, to invest in Campus Safety and security. Thank you. One final question. What hit me when you talk, we are marching in the wrong direction. When you talked about defund, i know other people hit on this, but my question. Some people are still marching in that wrong direction. What do you think is going to take to turn it around, and do you think this is a part of that . One way you deal with the vocal minority, you lift the profile of the silent majority. That is what faith and blue weekend is intended to do. There are more people that assemble that faithbased organizations. Wework strategic because it gives every local community individually and our nation collectively the opportunity to raise up the voice of the majority and drown out the voice of the minority. Chief hopkins reference to this earlier, i have been involved in civil rights all of my life. I led the first first march i ever lead when i was 16. I am 45 now. I do not know who these defund the police folks are, they do not fit or come from the traditional leadership i am in like jeffrey jackson, they are not up that hill. I do not know who they are. I think, frankly, that whole crowd, those who are demonizing Law Enforcement are left concerned about justice and more concerned about division. Oftentimes, a lot of folks choose war because this is more profitable. When i was marching, i will do it again. This time, i will do it with Law Enforcement. Most of the time, we found out over maturity and growth, most Law Enforcement agencies and their executives want to do the right thing. They are as concerned as anyone else. The challenge is, we do not have the open line of communication. That is what we are doing. We have heard too much from National Talking heads sitting on cable networks. America needs to hear more from the American People because they hold the solutions. That is why we encourage everyone that leads a Law Enforcement organization and a faithbased organization to go to faith and blue. Org. We have prepared tool based kits, there is no cost. We hope to have more sponsors next year, we need additional support. That is a plug. In closing, i want to thank our Law Enforcement state partners, from vermont, alaska, florida, everywhere in between. The state chief sheriffs and Prosecutions Office are partnering with us, as well, the Fbi National Academy associates, clea icp, the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the National Association of assistant u. S. Attorneys, the National BlackPolice Officers association, the National NarcoticsOfficers Association coalition. Noble, the National Policing institute, the National Sheriffs association, United States department of Homeland Security, United States department of justice. The small and rural Law Enforcement executives association, and all the other partners. Thank you for your engagement. Thank you for your presence. I am going to ask now as we close this press conference that we bow our heads for a moment of silence. Recognizing that we are from different faiths, i am going to sing a prayer. God, you are the author and finisher of our faith. We come here because we have faith in the divine, but some of us, here because we have faith in one another. Bring our nation closer together. We have all the resources, we have all the tools, we have the spirit. Give us the courage to reach beyond our comfort zones, the courage to reach beyond our individual interest to see that we have got trouble. We have got challenges. Too many young people in communities are choosing the wrong path. Often, they do not have very many options for other paths. Bring us to a place where we recognize the commonality in one another. Give us faith that passes all understanding. If we have ever needed a divine before, we sure need it now. Strengthen every Law Enforcement professional, regulate their minds, regulate their hearts. Give them a burning desire to serve with dignity, and decency. And without prejudice. Get in the hearts and minds of every Community Resident who too often judge our Law Enforcement professionals. Help us to know that we are all your children. We can do nothing by ourselves. With your help, all things are possible. I pray god, if you put anything on the inside of my heart, my mind, and my spirit, i pray you protect every Law Enforcement official this day. This day, august the ninth, there will be no loss of life from a Law Enforcement professional. God believe, if you do it one thing, you will do it again and again. I pray for the families on the wall in remembrance. Get in their hearts and minds, strengthen them. I pray for every young black or brown male who believes that a life of crime is his only pathway forward. Give our nation the courage to give that young man some options. If you do this, it will be careful to give you thanks. There is so much we do not know and understand about this thing we call life, but this we do know. There is a power greater than ourselves that is in control. We know you by many names, we know you as christians, catholic and protestant. We know you as jewish, we know you as muslim, hindu, buddhist. Some of us know you as spirit, but bless us and bless the work of our hand. In your name we pray, amen. Thank you all for coming. [applause] weve got to get a group photo. If you are from one of these associations or a government agency, please come to the stage. We have got to get a group photo. Chief esserman, leola, chief bryant, rob. Dewayne. If you are from one of the associations. Put some chairs down for the short people. As well