Month: August 2015

#Bridgeport CT (August 13, 2015) – Today, Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett nominated Detective Harold Dimbo and local Bullard-Havens Technical High School student Akeem Douglas to be White House Champions of Change.

President Obama has asked communities across the country to nominate a young person and a law enforcement officer who are going above and beyond to work together to make their communities safer. The White House recognizes the importance of law enforcement officers and youth participating in recreational, service and other joint activities that help to build bridges and improve public safety.

Seeing this initiative here in Bridgeport, Police Chief Gaudett nominated Detective Dimbo and Akeem Douglas for their work in the Bridgeport Young Adult Police Commissioners program. The program was started seven years ago and creates a group of 16 Bridgeport teenagers that serve in an advisory role for the Police Department. The Young Adult Police Commissioners work to close the gap between the Bridgeport Police Department and the community.

Detective Dimbo has served as head of the Young Adult Police Commissioners for the past seven years. He grew up in Bridgeport’s East End and saw firsthand the importance of ties between the community and the police. After one of his friends was killed by a drug dealer he applied to become a police officer to help his community. Starting off in the Bridgeport Police Department, Detective Dimbo would go on to work for the State Police anti-gang task force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Drug Enforcement Agency. Detective Dimbo returned to the Bridgeport Police Department as a detective in homicide and gangs and became a certified gang instructor teaching in the community and in other states.

“As a member of law enforcement I have had a lot of success putting gang members in jail but the most important work is preventing our young adults from joining gangs and going to jail in the first place,” said Detective Dimbo. “It takes the whole community to create a bright future for our kids. I’m proud of the work these young adults have done and it is an honor to be recognized alongside them.”

“Detective Dimbo is a model police officer and mentor,” said Police Chief Gaudett. “I’m honored to call him a Bridgeport Police Detective. The Young Adult Police Commissioners inform the police on the best ways to approach young adults in the city and gives youth yet another positive connection with law enforcement. At the same time the Bridgeport Police Department works with these young adults and helps keep them on the right path to college and the workforce.”

“These students serve as role models and validate the hard work of our law enforcement,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “These relationships have helped build trust in our community with the police which has had an immeasurable impact reducing crime and protecting our young adults.”

The Young Adult Police Commissioners program meets every Wednesday from October through August. Students join when they are in early high school and graduate the program once they have finished school.

Akeem Douglas joined the Young Adult Police Commissioners as a sophomore at Bullard-Havens Technical High School and is now a rising senior.

“Akeem joined the Young Adult Police Commissioners with a lot of skepticism and resistance,” said Police Chief Gaudett. “Now he is a leader at his high school, an A student, and wants to go to UConn or Johnson & Wales University. He has built a strong bond and understanding of Bridgeport’s Police Department and knows that keeping our community safe requires everyone to work as partners. Akeem has been nominated because he embodies the positive work Bridgeport has done to bridge the gap between our law enforcement and our community.  I’m proud of the work he has done and the role model he has become.”

The mission for the Board of Young Adult Police Commissioners for the City of Bridgeport is to maintain and improve our community by working with all citizens to prevent crime, maintain order and safety throughout the community, promote individual responsibility to the city through the police department and keep all citizens safe and insure safety in their homes. By recommending wise decisions to the police department, the Young Adult Police Commissioners help to drive the police department with insight and helpful information to better communicate with the community.

The Champions of Change program was created by the Obama administration as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals, businesses and organizations doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.