Video Series: Conversations With A Commissioner

Created in the summer of 2020 during the racially charged civil unrest, Conversations with a Commissioner is a four-part video series created to open a dialog between the city’s first black commissioner and the city’s police force. 

In the wake of the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police Officer we witnessed a public outcry for police reform nationally and locally. The city quickly formed group of active and engaged residents to meet with the Chief of Police, members of the police department, city staff and Commissioner Joshua Simmons - the city’s first African American elected to serve on the Coral Springs Commission. The results of those meetings revealed the importance of not only talking about these issues, but the need to create real solutions, while promoting a better understanding of how persons of color perceive our criminal justice system and how Police can better connect with the black community.

The goal of this video series was to publicly respond to the injustices of Police brutality nationwide while supporting our police force locally. To help prevent additional civil unrest in our own city by bridging the communications gap and look for ways to continually improve.

To open-up lines of dialogue and better inform and connect with residents, the city launched “Conversations with a Commissioner.” The four-part video series which covered wide-ranging topics including police policies, training, diversity in law enforcement, inclusivity, civil unrest and how to create a path forward. The series featured the Chief of Police and members of the police department to offer their perspective on policing in America and in the Coral Springs Community. 

The result of the video series was beneficial in validating the experiences of others, while bridging the gap between the community and the men and women who protect our communities. 

Stats:

Twitter 

Episode 1 - Impressions 3,498 - Media Views 605

Episode 2 - Impressions 1,109 - Media Views 24

Episode 3 - Impressions 2,665 - Media Views 24

Episode 4 - Impressions 1,166 - Media Views 234

Instagram

Episode 1 - Views 806

Episode 2 - Views 806

Episode 3 - Views 799

Episode 4 - Views 494

Facebook

Episode 1 - Impressions: 3,425

Episode 2 - Impressions: 6,426

Episode 3 - Impressions: 13,497

Episode 4 - Impressions: 13,601