BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The relationship between police and minority groups can be tenuous at times but people who wear the uniform are always working to make it better. A father and daughter are trying to change the perception of police within the community.
- A father-daughter duo is making a difference in their neighborhood.
- Denise Johnson grew up around police officer and they inspired her to serve and protect her community.
- Devon Johnson grew up the opposite but always had respect for the cops. That interest led him to join the Police Activities League to empower youth in Bakersfield.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Denise Johnson grew up around police officers a lot of them and says many of them impacted her life.
There was one message in particular that stuck with her she says,
“Little boys and girls that look like you want to see you out there, and the only way that they gonna know that they can be someone like you is to see someone like you,”
Denise started her journey at the Police Activities League when she was 8 years old. When she was around 22 she went to the police academy and now she's an officer in field training.
Through all of this that message as a young girl inspires her to follow her passion protecting others.
“It always did raise the question of why is there no one who looks like me?” Denise Johnson questioned herself at times.
Her father Devon Johnson worked with thousands of young athletes in Bakersfield for decades including many at the Police Activities League Devon Johnson expresses,
"When you live in marginalized communities sometimes you don't see the pretty side of law enforcement,"
He tells me the Police Activities League has bridged the gap between law enforcement and the community through the many resources it's provided for students in marginalized communities to stay on track.
“I’ve seen kids that went on to college gotten successful jobs and able to uplift the community and neighborhood,”
For his daughter, it led her to a career in law enforcement.
Now during her field training she tells me she feels like she is helping to continue breaking the stigma that minorities encounter with being a police officer.
“I’ve had instances where I’ve seen people like change their demeanor and change their tone of voice with the way they were talking to other officers because they knew who I was ,” says Denise Johnson.
Although it might feel like there is a long way to go in making a connection she said it's a journey worth taking.
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