Today we're announcing a partnership with the Miami Police Department and Dedication to Community (D2C) to administer specialized training to Miami’s police force with the goals of positively impacting interactions between law enforcement and our diverse, local community—particularly the Black community—thus building trust, and addressing implicit bias and racism within society. This is part of our continuous effort to use our unique platform and standing in the community to deliver on our social justice pledge and effect positive change that uplifts the Black community. The partnership will begin with a pilot program, training a subset of Miami PD officers, with the longer-term goal of providing training to many, if not the entirety, of the Miami PD force.
“The Miami HEAT feels very fortunate to have earned the trust and respect of the South Florida community. We recognize both the opportunity and the obligation to utilize our platform to serve as a bridge between law enforcement and the community,” said Nick Arison, CEO of The HEAT Group. “We believe the key to making progress in the fight for social justice requires honest and ongoing difficult conversations leading to action. This law enforcement training is one form of that action. Partnering with the Miami Police Department and D2C is a step in the right direction. Our hope is that this becomes a model for other police departments and sports teams across the country, and that they may want to grow together the way that we’re growing together here.”
“We’re excited to work with the HEAT as we have in the past,” said Jorge Colina, Chief of the Miami Police. “Any training that allows us to grow further in the community is something that we’ll always be interested in. We have a great relationship with the community that we serve and we want to show them that we’re committed to keeping that trust.”
Dedication to Community (D2C) is a national non-profit that educates and empowers communities and law enforcement professionals through skills-building workshops and forums designed to improve understanding and build relationships while pursuing healing, reconciliation and unity. D2C founder M. Quentin Williams and facilitators work with private and public sector organizations to train employees and engage community members in conversations and curricula about bias, cultural competency, historic and local impressions of law enforcement, safe interactions, and justice issues. Williams is a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor who has held executive positions with the NBA and NFL. He is an attorney, author and acclaimed public speaker.
"Dedication To Community (D2C) is excited about this first-of-its-kind partnership with the Miami HEAT and the Miami Police Department," said M. Quentin Williams, Founder and CEO of D2C. "Communities across the globe are calling for action, and this collaboration offers new and creative ways to evolve society beyond just rhetoric. This is what action looks like."