In the five months after Kiwane Carrington’s death, Champaign community members and police have been working together to create an atmosphere open to critical thinking. Champaign City Council, the Human Resource Center and the Champaign Police Department hosted an forum for community members to discuss the progress made in the six police initiatives Monday night at Sherwood Suites in Champaign.

Carrington was a 15-year-old boy who was shot by a Champaign officer who was responding to a robbery call.

Multiple investigations of the police department were filed since the opening of the case; however, the incident was ruled as an accident.

At the event, participants were assigned to tables of 10 to 12 people where both police officers and community members sat.

Will Kyles, District 1 council member, said Champaign citizens have sought opportunities to address many issues surrounding Carrington’s death, including police interaction with the community.

Kyles added that the forum provided the police department, city officials and community members a chance to speak with each other directly.

“I think that we, community members and police, should work to be nicer to each other,” he said. “But we’re working in the right direction.”

Participants discussed the following four questions at the meeting: What does good police-community relations look like? What are police barriers to good police-community relations, and what steps can be taken to eliminate those barriers? What are community barriers to good police-community relations, and what steps can be taken to eliminate those barriers? What issues are youth facing, and what suggestions do you have for overcoming those issues?

Kyles said the community’s response to these questions will be compiled in an e-mail and will be sent to all participants and city residents. Tiffany Johnson, social worker at Central High School, 610 West University Ave, Champaign, said she was happy with how the discussion turned out and that there are many ideas that can be worked with.

She added that though there were not as many members of the youth present within the groups, she was happy that some were present at the forum.

“When the Carrington died, I felt torn because the Champaign police had been good to me. I felt conflicted as a citizen and a mother,” Johnson said.

Kathryn Thompson, Champaign officer, said she purposely came into the forum with a blank slate to allow free thinking. She also said she was amazed by the diversity of the group she was allowed to talk with.

“Alone at my table, there were people from all walks of life,” Thompson said. “It allowed for us to open ourselves to all perspectives on the issues and questions we talked about.”

AJ Paris, student at Lincoln ChalleNGe Academy, 205 West Dodge Ave., Rantoul, said he had not expected the community to have such a presence at the forum.

“I knew Kiwane, and I am still hurt by his death,” Paris said. “But I definitely have hope and optimism in the direction this work is taking us.”