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**The L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award:Charlotte, North Carolina**
 September 2019 | Volume 12 | Issue 8

The L. Anthony  Sutin Civic Imagination Award is  named in memory of Tony Sutin, who served as a founder and deputy director of  the COPS Office from its creation in 1994 to 1996. This annual award is  bestowed upon a collaborative team of law enforcement and community members  whose innovative civic interactions have transformed public safety in their  community. The ideal nominee creates community collaborations that are  innovative, creative, and transformative; displays civic leadership through  problem solving and collaborative partnerships; and promotes public safety  through dedication to the community policing philosophy. For the 2018 award,  two winners were selected. In Charlotte, North Carolina, the award was  presented to Mrs. Tesha Boyd of Promise  Youth Development (PYD) and Major  Nelson Bowling of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).

 How does a community grow past a tragedy? On September 20,  2016, Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed by an on-duty CMPD officer. The  event led to protests and investigations on the national stage, but it also led  to growth in the city. 

 “From this backdrop,” says a representative from the CMPD,  “Mrs. Tesha Boyd launched Promise Youth Development in partnership with CMPD’s  Independence Patrol Division, with officers spending up to two hours each  Wednesday evening mentoring, tutoring, playing sports, or just being a big  brother or sister to youth ages 6–18 from an underserved, low-income  neighborhood.”

 Mrs. Boyd added, “The kids in the program live in high-crime  areas and typically see police officers responding to calls in their community  way too often. We felt it was important to change their perception and to give  them an opportunity to get to know the officers behind the badge.”

Major Nelson Bowling, who has been with the initiative  from the outset, reports, "When we first started, the kids were  apprehensive around [police], but we were able to form a bond and partnerships.  Before you can mentor youth, you have to have a relationship and relationship building  is extremely time-consuming, yet rewarding.”

Major Bowling is generally soft-spoken and prefers to give  credit to everyone else in the room, but Mrs. Boyd won’t have it: “He knows  every kid. They know him. He’s our biggest supporter.” The partnership overcame  initial hesitations to include lines of effort ranging from kickball games to  summer programming to psychosocial education and wellness activities. Though  the portfolio of activities is diverse (and ever-expanding), the common threat  is the consistent time and attention that officers, students, and communities  members invest in each other.

 The repeated contact in a growth-oriented setting has led  to authentic relationships between officers and community members, and Mrs.  Boyd identifies this as one of the cornerstones of the program. “Today’s youth  question everything and want real answers,” she points out. “It has been  transformative for the officers and the youth. Jointly, we provide kids a safe  place with consistency, authenticity, and intentionality to ensure the success  of the kids in the program. We also have a shared goal of positively impacting  the kids’ lives beyond calls for service. The bonds and *trust* that have been formed are unimaginable!” 

 Major Bowling concurs: “Promise Youth Development built  the bridge allowing CMPD Officers to walk over and engage with the youth—it has  really touched all our lives.”

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