News Releases

Chief James Barber Presenter at U.S. Attorneys Office Conference in Washington D.C.

Mar 14th, 2016

For the second time within the past year, Mobile's "Bridging the Gap" program will be presented on a national stage.

This week at the Department of Justice United States Attorneys' Office Conference held in Washington D.C., Chief of Police James Barber, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Lasky, and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama Kenyen Brown will introduce the program to all United States Attorneys.

Last October, Bridging the Gap was well-received by FBI top officials at the FBI Special Agents in Charge Conference held in Chicago, and is currently being implemented by the 56 FBI field division offices. The goal is for the U.S. Attorneys across the country to also consider the program, implement it, and roll it out nationally through their offices.

Chief James Barber will also present the "Second Chance or Else (SCORE)" program at the conference. While Bridging the Gap is centered on rebuilding mutual respect and trust between youth and law enforcement, SCORE is tailored to pre-selected nonviolent street-level drug dealers who are given by law enforcement a one-time offer of rescue from a lifetime of crime. Both programs have proven effective in the city of Mobile, positioning the Mobile Police Department at a high-level of community engagement.

The Bridging the Gap program is part of the Mobile County Public School System high school curriculum. It targets ninth graders and equips them with a better understanding of how to behave during encounters with law enforcement.

SCORE involves a host of community leaders who work with law enforcement and provide participants with encouragement and goal-directed guidance.

"We are changing our tactics to make the city safer," said Chief Barber. "Mobile is becoming nationally the model city of community-acceptable law enforcement strategies and that is something to be proud of as we take the programs to various platforms."

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Charlette Solis
Mobile Police Department
Public Affairs Officer
251-208-1918