CURT’S IN THE COMMUNITY

On Friday, June 30, 2017, Officers from the Community Strategies Unit awarded certificates to eight students from Curt’s Café after successful participation in “The Law and Your Community” law literacy program.

Curt’s Café is a local non-profit, founded in Evanston, which works to provide underserved youth with life skills, job training and other supportive services. Some of Curt’s students have had interactions with police officers, or have witnessed interactions with police which may not have always been positive.

During the 9 week “Law and Your Community” program  Officers Enjoli Daley and Kyle Wideman, met with students regularly and discussed a wide range of topics including how laws are made, the punishments for breaking certain laws, the importance of making good decisions, and interacting with police officers.  Students had the opportunity to share their experiences and ask officers questions about different practices and laws.

The Law and Your Community program was developed by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) in response to the nationwide concern of police and citizen interactions.  The Evanston Police Department adopted the program in 2015 and has been working with local organizations to encourage open communication between the community and police officers. Such communication is vital to building positive relationships within the community, especially with youth.

The Evanston Police Department is proud to partner with organizations such as Curt’s Café and NOBLE and is thankful for the opportunity to engage in healthy and necessary dialogue.  Thank you to Curt’s Café for the on-going support and for the phenomenal work that is being done.

For more information about the program or if you are interested in hosting a program  please contact Officer Enjoli Daley at (847) 866-5018 or by email.