SALISBURY — The Salisbury Police Department, in partnership with Rowan County Crosby Scholars and the Office of Career and Professional Development at Livingstone College, will continue its community-oriented policing efforts with a lecture series titled Community Classroom.

The interactive session is for residents 16 and older and is taught by local police officers. The sessions are designed to provide education and insight into aspects of police work specific to Salisbury.

The next installment, on the topics of decision-making and use of force, is scheduled Saturday on the campus of Livingstone College. Participants will include students from the Criminal Justice Department at the college who are aspiring police officers and area high school seniors participating in the Crosby Scholars program.

“We are extremely excited about this partnership,” said Police Chief Jerry Stokes. “Livingstone College has been a pillar and a leader in our community for many years. I believe this session will give our younger citizens an ‘inside look’ into police operations and our efforts to increase citizen satisfaction with police services.”.

Stokes said the department is committed to transparency in both information and operations.

“Our goal is to create a community of ‘citizen-police officers’ that will partner with us to make our city safer,” Stokes said.

The objectives of the program include:

• Creating community ambassadors to help the Police Department combat crime and develop a safer community through education

• Creating a community understanding about the complexity of police work

• Dispelling misconceptions about the roles and responsibilities of police officers.

For more information, contact Maj. Shon F. Barnes at 704-216-7546 or shon.barnes@salisburync.gov.