A group of pastors, city leaders and police officers gathered at Tampa City Hall to ask the community to come together.

  • Community members focused on unity and promoting an open dialogue
  • The Beulah Baptist Church will be holding a community forum Thursday at 7 p.m.
  • Everyone is invited to the church, located at 1006 W Cypress St, Tampa

Hours after a peaceful protest shut down a city block downtown, everyone asked for unity, though they acknowledge there is still plenty of work to be done.

It was the start of a bigger conversation about law enforcement and race relations.

At the meeting Tuesday, some black leaders talked about their own experiences being racially profiled.

“My point is there are some police officers who spend their time profiling and harassing a segment of the populous instead of policing,” said Dr. Mark Jones with the Center for Manifestation.

Representatives from Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office were on hand to talk about their own training, including sensitivity training.

Those in attendance learned that Hillsborough County deputies receive well over the 40 hours of advance training in a three year period required by law. They also learned how Tampa Police meet with demonstrators before a protest to keep everyone safe.

Both police and black leaders have agreed that coming together with community forums and creating a conversation will help everyone.

“Holding a community forum for our young people in particular so they can better understand how to interact with police officers, whether we like that or not, that’s the reality that we’re dealing with,” said Rep. Edwin Narain.

The Beulah Baptist Church will be holding a community forum this Thursday at 7 p.m. to discuss issues facing the black community and the police. Representative from local departments are slated to be there for an open conversation, Councilman Frank Reddick said.