WILLIAMSBURG — Ask a high schooler in Williamsburg what their friends think about the police, and you might hear words like "villain," "manipulate" and "bad guy."
But a new program in the 90th Precinct, which covers the southern and eastern parts of Williamsburg, is setting out to change that.
Together NYC brings 10 students from local high schools to the precinct at 211 Union Ave. once a week to be tutored and mentored by police, with some of the students attending the program as an alternative to suspension.
By the end of the six-week program, the group — police included — will do a community service project together in hopes of bridging the gap between youth and law enforcement, according to founder Dana Rachlin.
"Before the program, we thought police were a villain basically," said student Teddy Espinal, 18, who has seen innocent friends get randomly stopped by officers. "They overuse their power. They manipulate people. That’s what people thought.
"After one session, I've been more open-minded, seeing cops as who they're supposed to be. They should be trying to help you."
Rachlin, 28, used to work with police and youth in Staten Island and occasionally spearheaded projects for young people and police to work on together, she said.
When she came to Williamsburg, she collaborated with 90th Precinct commanding officer Deputy Inspector Mark DiPaolo to do similar one-off projects, like car washes or basketball games.
This is the first time a program, which started last week, is being formalized on a regular schedule, she said. Most of the participating students are from Frances Perkins Academy, at 50 Bedford Ave.
Rachlin said the only way students will learn properly is if they feel safe — and it's important for them to feel comfortable interacting with the police to feel that way.
In the sessions, officers and students talk about empowerment, life skills, job readiness and future goals, Rachlin said. It's an opportunity for students to see the police as supportive and for the officers to hear the issues that young people face, she added.
"It doesn’t serve anybody if the cops hate the community and the community hates the cops. Nobody wins," Rachlin said. "We’re trying to create our own narrative."
DiPaolo said he specifically requested officers who work in the streets to participate in the program in hopes of strengthening their relationship with the community, he said.
"The kids today, they really need to know that we are friends, that we’re in partnership with them," he said.
The nonprofit program currently runs on private donations. People looking to support the program can donate on its website.
Rachlin and DiPaolo are hoping to continue the program next school year, they said. Eventually, Rachlin hopes to expand it to other neighborhoods and precincts.
For students like Espinal, just being around police in the precinct in a non-threatening environment helps, he said.
"I never had a one-on-one with a police officer like that," Espinal said. "They're not so bad, it seems."
