Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner says the nation's mayors are keenly interested in restoring trust in law enforcement. Speaking on GLT's Sound Ideas, Renner said the idea of community policing was a hot topic at last week's conference of U.S. Mayors, and it's important for the twin cities as well.
He says the community is becoming more diverse with a sizeable Indian population, a growing Latino sector, and a substantial African American part of the community.
Renner praised Police Chief Brendan Heffner for his efforts to have officers be present in the neighborhoods to do more than just respond to calls and complaints. Renner says community policing allows law enforcement to get to know people and their concerns.
Many departments are responding to the Black Lives Matter movement and the poor image of law enforcement created by several officer shootings of unarmed minority citizens last year.
