Pastors, police meet over breakfast to promote peace, trust

The Rev. Clayton Moore believes communication is key to reducing potentially dangerous encounters between Las Vegas police and residents.

Moore, pastor of Second Baptist Church, 500 Madison Ave. in Las Vegas, was one of dozens of area faith leaders to participate Thursday morning in a program called Pastors, Police & Pancakes. The event at Liberty Baptist Church, 6501 W. Lake Mead Blvd., featured breakfast, faith and fellowship among pastors and officers at the Metropolitan Police Department’s Bolden Area Command.

“One of the ideas I would like to seriously address is the idea of fear,” Moore said of why he attended the gathering with officers. “Often, the officers are afraid in a stop. So often we as citizens, particularly people of color, we are afraid of a stop.

“We can learn to reduce some of the fear and anxiety that happens. Any of the time we see the lights flashing, anxiety kicks in for most people, but for particularly people of color, it can be a real serious, fearful situation. It is my hope … (that) we can kind of remove the danger and we can learn to respect one another as we are all created beings of God. The policeman has a job to do. We as citizens need to try to comply to the laws of our land to the best we (can) and confront the injustices we might face.”

This type of communication between police and communities is at the heart of the gatherings. The events were put on hold over the last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But on Thursday, the lines of communications reopened at Liberty Baptist. Metro Capt. Carlos Hank said he was honored to meet with faith leaders, noting that police are listening closely to the advice and counsel served up by pastors over breakfast.

“After an event like George Floyd, our community is seeking that peace,” Hank said, referencing the Minneapolis police slaying that sparked nationwide protests and an ongoing push for police reforms. “No matter where you are in the United States, you feel that need for peace. You feel that need for calm. An event like this helps support that. It helps expand it.”

Liberty Baptist Executive Pastor Matthew Teis said the meetings started a few years ago with the idea of a barbecue. Since then, parishioners and pastors have communicated directly with officers about the needs in their specific community.

“It is to help pastors and the police look at ways to collaborate,” Teis said. “Just in our own neighborhood in the last few years we’ve seen crime reduced.”

Chaplains Tamia Dow and Jackie Lyke of Chaplaincy Nevada showed up at the meeting as well. Dow is also a retired Las Vegas police detective. She and Lyke are participants in a related program called RECAP, which stands for Rebuilding Every City Around Peace. The chaplains work with police to help residents traumatized by violence and loss.

“We are like boots on the ground,” Lyke said.

Dow believes meetings like Thursday’s will help police and residents understand one another better.

“The long-term benefits are amazing,” she said. “They are limitless. Now you know you have citizens who will be able to come and say, ‘You know what, I feel comfortable calling that officer.’”

Metro Sgt. Stephanie Ward said the improved relationships with the community are palpable.

“It is very humbling to have these types of connections,” Ward said. “It continues to build trust.”

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.