Improving Local Police Relations: A KPCC Panel Discussion

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Police relations, KPCC panel, Robert Cristo

Police officer-involved shootings and the state of race relation in the country have been big topics in the news lately. This important national issue was recently discussed in a local forum hosted by KPCC, Southern California Public Radio and moderated by AirTalk host Larry Mantle. Whittier College political science major Robert Cristo '14 was part of the panel discussion.

"Too few officers live in the communities they police and the few that do are seen as outsiders,” said Cristo, a member of the community-based organization Youth Justice Coalition. "You don’t see them as your neighbor, you see them as the guy with the badge and the gun." 

Other panelists included Jonathan Henderson, a student at California State University, Dominguez Hills as well as Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna. 

Luna said he wasn’t surprised by the sentiments. “I had very negative experiences growing up with the Sheriff’s Department” in East LA, he said. “Its not like we (in law enforcement) are strangers to a lot of the activity that’s being described.”

To listen to the complete panel discussion, visit KPCC's website.