Local woman in Dallas was working with police on community-building forum

July 8, 2016 5:17 pm

By Alana Cerrone

acerrone@abc6.com

@Alana_Cerrone

The ambush on police in Dallas comes just one week before the department had scheduled a community forum to help strengthen its relationship with the public.

A Rhode Island woman is one of the organizers involved with the event. Caitlin Volpe grew up in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and now works and lives in Dallas, just blocks from where the shootings happened.

For the past couple of months, she’s been working with police to organize the ‘Let’s Talk Police and Youth Forum’. Last year, 1200 people showed up to the event to engage in open dialog with their police department. That’s why Volpe is shocked to hear about the killings.

"Going into work today I can definitely say everybody is scared at this point."

She describes the overall mood in the city as something she’s never felt. "It just wasn’t the same feeling I get…there was fog over the skyline…it just looked sad."

She says she never expected this type of violence against police in Dallas. "Not at all – when it first happened I thought ‘why Dallas?’ Obviously you’re thinking oh this will never happen here."

The ‘Let’s Talk Police and Youth Forum’, planned for next Thursday, was expected to bring together 1500 youth and adults from Dallas to meet with police and promote positive interactions, which may be needed now more than ever.

"I think everybody at this point wants to come together and make sure the police know we support them.”

Right now the forum is still scheduled, but Volpe says of course meetings will have to be called to discuss security and any other changes that might occur because of the shooting.