Dallas Office of Community Police Oversight Holds Prayer Vigil to ‘Promote Peace, Unity and Healing’

Sunday night the Office of Community Police Oversight in Dallas held an interfaith prayer vigil for peace, unity and community. It was part of a series of events to help with healing, togetherness and conversation following the death of Tyre Nichols and other victims of police brutality.

Outside city hall, members from the oversight committee, Project Unity and Thanks-Giving Foundation in partnership with the Dallas Chapter of the National Black Association, held prayers

“We’re normally used to seeing meetings about accountability or we’ll have members of the police department, city council members, with the oversight [committee] there,  but we don’t focus enough on peace and unity,” said Tonya McClary, police monitor for the city of Dallas and director of the Office of Community Police Oversight.

“We have people from different faiths and community leaders just to come together and say, ‘Let’s put some prayer for peace and unity here in the city,” said McClary.

Her job, which McClary described as a voice for the community to the police department and vice versa, can be challenging. Explaining that while she’s in the middle to help facilitate conversation and oversight, both sides may be mad at the oversight committee for different reasons, but ultimately she’s trying to bridge the gap.

“Even though I know we can be very upset, when something like a Tyre Nichols [situation] happens, at the police department, but the reality is, they’re part of this community, they’re going to be the one patrolling in your neighborhood, and so it’s important to try and work with them to come up with a solution,” said McClary. “And the same thing to officers and officers that are listening, it’s important for you to reach out and pay attention to the community and hear what their concerns are. So this is really about, let’s come together, the police and community and try to heal this city and move forward positively together.”

The next event is called “Conversations to Move Dallas Forward,” and will be held on Thursday, March 2 at Thurgood Marshal Recreation Center, 5150 Mark Trail Way, in Dallas at 6 p.m. The Office of Equity and Inclusion, District 3 Councilmember Casey Thomas, II along with the Community Police Oversight Board and the National Black Police Association will lead the discussion.