Event held to build trust between the community and police

A local woman is working to bridge the gap between children and law enforcement and strengthen these vital relationships.

Taunya Cola is doing it through the “Unity in our Community” event.

Law enforcement and the community are groups that don’t always see eye to eye.

On Thursday in Dunbar, they found common ground.

“We live in a scary world. Stuff can happen in less than five seconds. If you’re not keeping your eye on it,” said Niah Tillman, a local parent.

The elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, has magnified the need for more safety in schools and more trust in law enforcement.

It was clear at this event that children’s safety must always be a priority.

“It’s the most important thing. We want them to know that we’re here for them and that in any moment, we want them to have that relationship with us that they know that they can trust us in any kind of situation, especially in light of what’s going on in the country,” said Sergeant Gil Benitez, with the Fort Myers Police Department.

Sergeant Benitez said events like this help bridge the gap between police and parents because trust must be earned.

“We stay prepared when it comes to going into schools immediately. If something like that happens, we don’t wait. Again, we can’t wait. So we’re not changing our tactics. We’re only going to improve on them,” said Sergeant Benitez.

Parents in Dunbar said talking with police officers and sheriff’s deputies in such a fun and casual way helped put them at ease.

“I really appreciate that, because I have two little small kids, and I really enjoy letting them come to the community without being scared,” said Tillman.

Safety and security are things everyone can agree on.

This was the fifteenth year the Dunbar community hosted the Unity in our Community event.

In addition to law enforcement, other vendors were on hand to give parents first aid training, help them register to vote, and pass out bicycle helmets to their kids.