Police departments across the country are keenly aware of community distrust.
Many have responded after incidents like Ferguson and now Charlotte, but far fewer have taken initiative before they ever happened.
The Longmont Police Department fits into the latter category.
“We've walked over 90 neighborhoods within the community,” said police chief Mike Butler as he walked down Lincoln Street on Sunday.
For two and a half years, Butler has dedicated his Sundays to walking around a different neighborhood in Longmont. Some last an hour, others last four, but each includes introducing himself to the people who live there as a way of building relationships within the community.
“It wasn't so much an overt tension I was aware of so much as it was a curiosity,” he said.
Butler estimates he’s met more than 1,500 people, many of them Latinos who have moved to Longmont.
“I’ve learned a sense of belonging,” Dan Benavida said, who was one of them.
Benavida first met Butler a few months before his excursion began. He was brought on as an interpreter and friend who has made every walk alongside Butler.
“I feel I belong and the people we meet, over 1,500 Latinos, they talk about ‘I know the chief of police and it spreads,” Benavida said.
Whether large or small every meeting cements a bond.
“It’s our belief that if you can get more people from our community involved we’re more likely to solve problems than just having government or non-profits involved,” Butler said.
Earlier this year, Butler was invited to the White House to recognize what he's doing in Longmont.
He's been contacted by departments nationwide on how to adopt his method of policing.
