Repairing Black Community-Police Relationship the Goal of FSC Program

August 8, 2016

James Rooney

To say that criminal justice adjunct James Rooney was overwhelmed by the reception he got at Freedom Chapel in Amityville two weeks ago would be an understatement. Why? Because he’d never been hugged so much in his life.

Rooney – also a decorated Suffolk County Detective Lieutenant – along with FSC English professor Bentley Whitfield, director of FSC’s First Responder program, were in Amityville to kick off the program, a ground-breaking effort to build better relationships between African-American young people and law enforcement officers by matching local police with middle school minority youth in a mentoring relationship that will include field trips, study sessions, teacher meetings, and more.

Professor Rooney at a hug fest.

Rooney was the main speaker at the event – a summer basketball camp sponsored by LI Teen Challenge, a faith-based drug rehabilitation program. He explained the First Responder initiative to 600 students, parents, adults and community leaders. At the end of each session, according to Teen Challenge director Pastor Jimmy Jack, Rooney was surrounded by scores of participants who gave him group hugs and prayed for him.

“At a time when many communities in America are reeling from tense, hostile, and at times deadly encounters between black youth and police, we took a very public and necessary step to bring together two groups through First Responders,” said Pastor Jack.

“This is just the beginning of our involvement with Farmingdale’s First Responder program. It has the potential to help develop a healthy new dynamic between police and our community. This is big!”

The program is funded by a $270,000 HESC grant secured by Whitfield last year.