About thirty members of the B.M.C. Durfee High School Peaceful Coalition and three members of the Fall River Police Department, including Chief Dan Racine, met together on October 15, 2010, to share experiences and perspectives on life in Fall River. Coalition members described their own histories dealing with gangs, violence and drugs through a series of vignettes. Chief Racine and Officer John Lapointe responded with their perspective and advice on how to avoid having to deal with the police. The dialogue was organized by B.M.C. Durfee High School student advisors Paul Leite, Tom Khoury and  Michaela Hetzler. They were joined by Fall River Housing Authority Family and Youth Services director Joe DaSilva and Fall River Youth Services Coordinator Christian McCloskey. The Dialogue is part of a series of events that began with a June Peace Walk (click here for the video of the event and here for photos of the walk and here for photos). For more information about the Peaceful Coalition, contact student advisor Paul Leite at 508-235-2694.
 

(Top row) Members of the Peaceful Coalition listen intently to the dialogue.as Fall River Police chief Dan Racine opens the dialogue by asking members to share their experiences. (Middle row, left and right) Peaceful Coalition student advisors Paul Leite and Tom Khoury encourage the students to describe their experiences. (Bottom row, left and center) Police officer John Lapointe gives the students feedback from the perspective of the police and Coalition members give very personal accounts of their experiences growing up with violence, gangs and drugs. (Bottom row, right) Chief Racine closes with his hope for continued dialogue as a way for police and youth to get to know each other.