The conversations are designed to find common ground and help people better understand one another, especially following crisis events, he said.
Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl and Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer are very committed to improving community relations, but the relationship between law enforcement and citizens remains strained and tensions endure, Rice said.
“Improvements are needed,” he said.
Many community members feel as though police act as if they are the military and treat neighborhoods as if they occupying enemy territory, he said.
Many police officers are frustrated that citizens do not seem to understand the dangers and hardships of their jobs and why they make certain decisions in the line of duty, he said.
Dayton police and Montgomery County Sheriff’s office declined to comment on the Dallas officer shootings Friday.
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