Community Engagement Coordinators in 21st Century Policing

Webinar -

During this webinar, two community engagement coordinators, Yolanda Thigpen and Njeri Fikes, will share information on their role for a law enforcement agency including, successes and benefits for their respective communities.  Register HERE

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Njeri Fikes
Community Engagement Coordinator
Fayetteville (NC) Police Department

Njeri has over 20 years of experience in Community Engagement in both the nonprofit and education fields. A Public Relations Major, she decided that while she enjoyed working in Media her passion was in Community Service and transitioned to Non Profit work. An effective grant writer and public speaker, Njeri has presented at statewide conferences on Partnership Development and Family and Youth engagement.

In her tenure with the Fayetteville Police Department, she helped launch the Leadership Symposium on Resilience as well the Community Solutions Summit on Violence. The Summit featured nationally recognized speakers focused on community strategies against violent crime. Additionally, she serves as the Coordinator of Fayetteville Police Department’s Educating Kids on Gun Violence (EKG) program and helped produce their newest short film on youth violence, EKG2 The Crux.

A military transplant she has called Fayetteville/Fort Bragg home for the past 14 years and is the mother of 2 dynamic daughters.

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Yolanda Thigpen
Community Engagement Coordinator
Rocky Mount (NC) Police Department

Education: Masters and a Bachelors in Criminal Justice from East Carolina University.
Professionally: CEC Rocky Mount Police Department since December 2021 previous employed at Kinston Police Department as Community Engagement Coordinator (pre-Covid)
Personally: She is also a Radio hostess, Preacher and upcoming Author.
Community Policing Perspective: Community Engagement is a hug, an event, a ballgame, a forum - anything big or small that brings us (public and police together). I love people and in police work, you really have to love people in spite of their behavior
Quote: Everyday I have the power to positively influence someone's life, I hope I use my power effectively.