Youth leaders and members of the B.M.C. Durfee High School Peaceful Coalition sat down with Fall River police officers on September 25, 2008, to discuss a recent violent incident involving Fall River youth. Young people and youth leaders had a chance to share their observations and concerns about police activity and police officer had the chance to respond. Under the leadership of Durfee High School student advisors Paul Leite and Tom Khoury and Youth Services Coordinator Christian McCloskey, Peaceful Coalition members have been engaged in a series of dialogues and other events that bring youth and police officers together to discuss police-youth relationships and to reduce the chance of future violence. For more information about the project, contact Durfee student advisor Paul Leite at 508-235-2694 or Youth Services Coordinator  Christian McCloskey at 508-324-2419.
 

 (Top and middle rows, left) Fall River Police Sgt. Daniel Dube and officer Jay Huard respond to the concerns raised in the dialogue. (Top row, center) CD-REC program director Jamison Souza listens as Durfee student advisor Paul Leite makes a point about youth-police interactions. (Top row, right) Matt Nhem and Youth Services Coordinator  Christian McCloskey listens as Jamison Souza talks about the kids he knows at CD-REC. (Middle row, right) Fall River Housing Authority Youth Coordinator Joseph DaSilva describes some of the success in reducing youth violence he has seen with the police officers assigned to the housing developments. (Bottom row, left) Officer Huard offers some suggestion for changes as Pierre Sophy and Vanyana Yoeum listen. (Bottom row, center and right) Durfee High School advisor Tom Khoury offers his view of the situation and responds to Jimmy Ling's response.