ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The United Christian Leadership Ministry (UCLM) recently sponsored its annual Community Police Summit in partnership with the Rochester City School District.

The event, titled "Straight Talk: Violence or Non-Violence, You Choose!", aimed to bring together various stakeholders, including Mayor Malik Evans, law enforcement agencies and community members, to participate in an open dialogue about violence prevention and the importance of building strong and healthy relationships between law enforcement and the community.

The summit, held on Thursday, gathered individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to share their views on violence prevention and explore strategies for fostering positive relationships between law enforcement, schools, youth and other stakeholders affected by criminal activities.

By creating a space for open conversation, the event sought to address the critical issue of violence and its impact on the community. One of the key concerns discussed during the summit was the involvement of young people in criminal activities.

Adam Urbanski, president of the Rochester Teachers Association, raised an important question about the role of parents and families in addressing this issue. He emphasized the need for a cultural change and urged families to take responsibility for the conduct of their children. Urbanski highlighted the alarming number of teachers leaving their positions during the school year due to the effects of violence in schools. He emphasized the importance of not giving up on young people and called for collective efforts to support and guide them.

Dr. Dwight Fowler, president of the United Christian Leadership Ministry, expressed the intention to collect action points from the summit. These action points would facilitate meetings with parents, town hall notifications and initiatives to reach homes and minimize violence. The goal was to extend the impact of the summit beyond a one-time event and actively work towards reducing violence in the community.

The summit, which commenced in the morning and continued until noon at the First Church of God, featured a panel discussion focusing on keeping children safe in schools and fostering strong and healthy relationships between the police and the community. The president of UCLM emphasized that the summit was not intended to polarize groups into an "us against them" mentality. Instead, the aim was to build bridges of understanding and collaboration, enabling everyone to learn and feel safe.