City of Talladega Blog

(Talladega, AL) City of Talladega Police Chief Diane Thomas was awarded a scholarship from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) at the U.S. Department of Justice to attend the 2024 “Professionalizing Law Enforcement - Community Engagement Training” (PLECET) national conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Continuous improvement is beneficial for all professionals,” said Chief Thomas. “PLECET has given me an excellent opportunity to network, exchange ideas, examine best practices and engage in high-level discussions with other law enforcement leaders.”

Guest speakers included former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young and Civil Rights icon Xernona Clayton Brady, who discussed the history of policing and how the police and the public can work together.

"Ambassador Young shared outstanding examples of how courtesy and respect for others can help turn around negative situations and build trust," said Chief Thomas. "I was especially inspired by a story he shared about how, by being polite to a policeman who was initially rude to him, he was able to build a cordial relationship with the officer."

The PLECET Conference was established to professionalize the emerging community engagement sector of policing by establishing an annual specialized training, networking, and professional development conference for sworn and professional staff assigned to community engagement roles in law enforcement agencies across the nation.  Through enhanced and expanded training for public safety personnel, PLECET helps to reduce crime, build trust, and foster successful police-community collaboration.