Bloomington Earns Small-City Award For Police Reform Efforts From U.S. Conference Of Mayors

The City of Bloomington has been named the recipient of the small-city award by The U.S. Conference of Mayors Police Reform and Equitable Justice Grant Program, as per an announcement on their official Facebook page. Recognizing the city's efforts with the program "Increasing Trust Through Shared Values," Bloomington police have received a nod for their commitment to building bridges between the community and law enforcement through a values-based approach.

With the partnership of Target, the grant program is designed to spotlight and encourage the practices that seek to treat all members of the community equitably—a cornerstone principle in the ongoing nationwide conversation about justice and police reform. Distinctively, Bloomington's strategy, which earned them the $75,000 grant, centers on a methodology that recruits and promotes within its force, informed by a shared set of values that resonate with the community it serves.

Chief Booker T. Hodges expressed his gratitude for the recognition and financial backing from The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Target. "I would like to thank the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Target for awarding us this grant so we can continue our great work with our shared values project with our community," he said in a statement reported by the Bloomington Police Department's Facebook page. Chief Hodges also voiced hopeful anticipation about the project's replication potential, stating, "I am looking forward to seeing what the data tells us as I believe what we have done here as far as coming together with our community if replicated could help communities all over the country increase and maintain trust within their communities."

The initiatives fueled by the grant are set to bolster already existing programs, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, advanced value-focused training for law enforcement, and continual analysis to ensure the initiatives are meeting their goals and public expectations. The careful investment of the grant is anticipated to herald positive outcomes not just for Bloomington, but as a model that can be echoed in small cities across the nation striving for similar progress.

SOURCE: hoodline