One San Diego, a charity established by Mayor Kevin Faulconer and his wife Katherine Stuart, hosted a new kind of block party Saturday at St. Jude Shrine of the West in the Southcrest area.
The charity joined corporate sponsor AT&T, the San Diego Police Department‘s southeastern division, and community leaders in an effort to improve dialogue and strengthen relationships between residents and law enforcement.
Speakers included Faulconer, Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman, and Father Henry Rodriguez, who offered a prayer in both Spanish and English.
“Open lines of communication and strong community relations are critical to the San Diego Police Department’s success,” said Zimmerman. “We’re excited to build on the new friendships we established today with Southcrest residents, and hope they learned as much about our vision for a safer San Diego, as we did about the unique needs and interests of their neighborhood.”
Barbara Ybarra, executive director of One San Diego, said the organization is planning to host similar block parties in the months ahead.
