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Communities rely on the police to protect and serve and the police, in turn, rely on community support and cooperation. But the relationship is not always harmonious. That's about to change according to Senior Superintendent Chester Williams. This afternoon Williams and two groups of police officers including senior officers took part in a meet and greet on Caesar Ridge Road and Gill Street. He told the media it is in an effort to mitigate the violence and crime in these areas as well as to build trust between the community and the police.

Sr. Supt. Chester Williams - OC, Eastern Division South

"As you recall when I took over as the officer commanding eastern division south, one of the message I said was that - the police will be doing more out reach to the community. This is part of our community orienting policing. Where we will go out, meet the public, greet the public, talk to them, see what their concerns are. Take advice from them. If there is anything they believe the police can do better. To police the area, we want those tips from them and when we're through, what ever information we have obtained from these people, we will go through them and we will see what we can get from it to make our policing effort better. We want to be able to give the community the level of policing that they deserve, so that's the main mission here."

"We have four different groups, I have Mr. Dawson in an area, Mr. Chi in another area, Ms. Moody in an area and then myself here doing Gill street and Nurse Finley Crescent area. So each senior officer has been tasked as to what they are to do in their respective area and the objectives are the same, which is basically to go out, meet the public, greet the public, see what we can get from them to be able to better police the area. Now, as you've recalled, Gill street is an area where it has been in the past shootings have been in this area. So we want to see how best we can communicate with the people in the area to help them alleviate their fear of crime. What we have done, so far we put a patrol in the area, that patrols 24 hours a day - but I'm certain that is not something that is not sufficient to remove that fear of crime from people. So we're trying to do this and what I am planning for next weekend, not this weekend, the following weekend coming. I am planning an event similar to that which we had on Mayflower, for Gill street, Caesar Ridge, Freedom street and Jane Usher boulevard. So we want to bring four groups together, four rival groups together and have a sports day, slash barbecue day for them - like a family day then, where we can to the Berger Field and we can have fun, clean fun. So the public can see, you know what, even though you might look at these people as criminals, that there is good in them like we saw in the Mayflower area. It was very touching when I saw the level of skills that these children had when they were playing football on Mayflower. And it is things like that, that we want to do, to show the public that - let's give these people a chance, let's give them the opportunity to try and make that change. If we have them out there shooting at each other, yes some might say, they'll eventually eradicate themselves; that will never happen. So the best we can do is to see how best we can help them make that change for those who want to make the change. "

The sports/barbecue day will take place next weekend on the Berger Field. And the meet and greet by these officers will continue on Jane Usher Boulevard and Freedom Street tomorrow.