TEMPLE HILLS, Md. 鈥� After two police shootings and the ambush attack on police officers last week, many in the D.C. area looked for guidance, comfort and answers during Sunday church services.
At the Community of Hope AME Church hundreds of parishioners were joined by the county鈥檚 chief of police and the county鈥檚 state鈥檚 attorney at a service in the Iverson Mall.
The Rev. Tony Lee said the goal of the聽service was聽to help people process their emotions and work through the pain, frustration and despair.
鈥淲e鈥檙e actually able to watch people die on our cell phones and replay it time after time, and sometimes people can remain so stuck in that loop that it caused them to internalize this great grief, this great depression,鈥� Lee said.
While Lee said the national discussion needs to continue on police reform, he said he doesn鈥檛 want the national narrative about a divide between police and residents, to take away from the work being done in Prince George鈥檚 County.
He said the county has taken great strides over the last decade to gain and maintain trust in the community.
鈥淭he national narrative is very different from the local narrative,鈥� said Prince George鈥檚 County State鈥檚 Attorney Angela Alsobrooks.
Alsobrooks said considerable work has been done to build relationships with members of the community, because she believes trust can鈥檛 be built by only coming to people during times of trouble.
Hank Stawinski, Prince George鈥檚 County鈥檚 police chief, said members of his department are continuously working to bring police and residents closer together.
鈥淲e鈥檙e constantly engaged, and constantly talking and, quite frankly, forming friendships and relationships with people who we care about,鈥� Stawinski said. 鈥淏ecause when you trust people, everything else is easy.鈥�
