Meeting to Improve Police Encounters

Police interactions with civilians are a hot topic in light of recent national events. It’s a topic that Gulfport police wanted to address the public on tonight.
At the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Gulfport, young and old residents filled the pews to listen to the rules of survival when stopped by law enforcement. One of the Gulfport captains started the meeting by showing all of the tools in an officer’s belt and how they work.
The audience also had the opportunity to ask their own questions about the rules of interacting with a police officer. Sergeant Damon McDaniel said, “A lot of younger people when they start driving and when you start encountering us, whether it be mainly here lately it’s been a traffic stop, but we want you to understand and get a little bit of knowledge of beyond traffic stops and actually encountering us. Whether we just get out and we’re walking in a neighborhood or we’re walking and we approach you on the street in general.”
The event was co-hosted by First Missionary Baptist Church in Bay St. Louis.
Attorneys, law enforcement officials from Gulfport and Sheriff Troy Peterson and council members all joined together on the panel at tonight’s meeting.