Month: June 2021

We are excited about the momentum in Kershaw County. Working with our partners, we are formalizing, “Kershaw Together.” Kershaw County and City of Camden represent one of our Compass Partner communities.

Together with our partner organizations, we are focused on strengthening trust and connection among police, community organizations, and people with lived experience.

Kershaw Together is driven by a leadership council that includes:

• Camden Police Department

• Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office

• The ALPHA Behavioral Health Center

• Jackson Teen Center

• Kershaw County Detention Center Department of Probation, Pardon, and Parole

• Food for the Soul

• Members of the area’s faith-based community and more.

Our partners have been refining the movement’s initiatives which currently include a focus on improving supports for people experiencing mental illness and building trust between youth and law enforcement.

We are particularly excited to partner with Mr. Brian Mayes with the Jackson Teen Center to support his vision for “Make It A Conversation,” a video plus discussion series with the goal of building bridges between teens and police.

Stay connect with us as we share about the progress of serving and connecting taking place in Kershaw County!

Last week, we hosted the Block Party Finale hosted in partnership with Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Police Department, Columbia Parks & Recreation Department, City of Columbia Government and our North Columbia Youth Empowerment Initiative partners. The event at Lorick Park helped build relationships between the community and law enforcement through music, games, food, balloon animals and an ice cream truck!

Deputy Chief Melron Kelly with Columbia Police Department says this event is therapeutic for them because they’re spending time with neighbors in the community.

“We always want to take an opportunity to build relationships with the community and let the officers and the community know that we’re here to help each other,” explained Deputy Chief Kelly. “If we want to really have a safe community, we’ve got to do it together and that’s what we want.”

Read the media coverage about the event: ‘Serve & Connect hosts block party to build relationships between community, law enforcement’ – WLTX News 19