For Policing | F.O.R., Inc.

At Your Service Commitment Program ™

A Christ-centered approach to policing

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

For racial reconciliation.

A voluntary program.

Objective: To invite the police officers of Pontiac to have a racially healing interaction with citizens living in the city that they serve, in order prevent police brutality based on irrational assumptions or fears.

Desired outcome: For officers to have strong commitment and connection for other police officers and citizens. To raise accountability in policing.

ORDER OF PROGRAM:

A Real Life Story of Redemption.

Statement of Unity In the Community:

“The officers of the city stand in solidarity with the citizens of Pontiac, MI and our surrounding area. We commit to knowing and learning more about the youth, adults and elders we have been entrusted to serve..”

See Your Citizens:

Invite a diverse group of citizens, e.g.,

Stan - A black boy (age 9-12)
Jason - A black male teen (ages 17-19)
Mike - A black man (30-45)
Stacy – A white woman (18-29)
Carlos - A latino boy (9-12)
Darla - A teenage black girl (16-18)
Sam - A grown white man (30-45)

Each citizen will stand in front of the group of officers, one by one, and facilitator is to ask the sitting officers to journal their answers to the following questions:

“What do you honestly think when you see John?

What are you considering when you look at him/her?

What do you immediately believe about him/her?

Let us hear from our guest citzens:

Each guest citizen will share their prepared answers to the following questions:

I invite the first guest to stand with us

What is your name and age?

What is your school/work place?

Who do you live with?

What are your dreams, aspirations or talents?

What are your goals over the next five years?

How do you feel when you see a police officer?

How would you like to feel when you see a police officer?

Thank you for sharing. God bless you and your family.

Will the next guest stand with us?

After each guest citizen finishes their introductions, the chaplain/facilitator will say ,

“Officers, please stand if you commit to kind protection and service.”

When the officers stand, the officers are asked by the chaplain/faciliator,

“Officers, Do you commit to building a genuine relationship with citizens in this community, starting with these here today, by staying in touch by attending quarterly in person gatherings. Express your commitment by raising your right hand.”

Officers, please keep your right hand raised and repeat after me:

I solemly commit to protecting and serving my assigned community by treating all citizens the way I want to be treated, both the innocent and those proven guilty.”

Officers, you may lower your right hand.

Citizens, if you commit to building a genuine relationship with citizens in this community, starting with these here, to stay in touch by attending quarterly in person gatherings, express your commitment by taking one step forward.

Committed Citizens repeat after me: “I solemly commit to building a genuine relationship with the officers in my community by treating them the way I want to be treated.”

Based on the commitments made here today, we place the Pontiac Community in the capable hand of God and His power that can keep us from falling. Let us pray the prayer of Community Commitment:

“Lord, may this community be an example of the light and love of Jesus Christ, who humbled himself to the death of the cross to save the lost. May God empower us all to heal when we are hurting, grieving, angry or afraid. May crime in the police stations decrease and end as more officers shine your standard each day. May more and more citizens have peace of mind knowing that they have police officers willing to be an example of love and tranformation so that racism in the police force will end. May more officers commit to the renewal of relationships with the citizens that they serve. May these officer raise your standard by speaking against inner corruptions in the departments that are entrusted with the lives and well being of their communities and the communities that they serve. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Officers we ask you to take a brief written evaluation to help measure the impact of the program. We invite you take a moment to greet our guest citizens and their families to sign the “At Your Service Banner” which will be gifted to your police station as a reminder of your commitment today.

A memorable item will be given to each guest, the officers and the chaplain.

This concludes our program.

The evaluation will consist of the following questions:

Do you feel a deeper commitment to protect and serve the citizens of this city?

Explain your answer?

Will you uphold your fellow officers accountable to a godly standard of protecting and serving the citizens of Pontiac, MI?

Please share the impact that the At Your Service Commitment Program had on the way you will serve the citizens of this city.

At the end of the program, officers will be invited to sign the “At Your Service Banner” customized with the mission of the officers, that will hang in the police department as a reminder of their commitment.

Officers and citizens make a commitment to stay in touch through a quarterly “Commitment and Cookies Chat”

The At Your Service Commitment Program can be repeated once a year for new officers.

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