New Orleans Saints Superstar Cam Jordan Funds Next Chapter of CCC
In the wake of all we've witnessed this year, it's clear we need a new approach to public safety. That’s why New Orleans Saints All-Pro Cam Jordan is teaming up with Crescent City Corps (CCC), a New Orleans-based non-profit that equips new police officers with leadership development and community engagement training so that they can work alongside citizens to build a more just, safe, and inclusive city.
Through CCC, four groups of 15-20 NOPD officers will participate in the engagement training program in the year ahead. Inspired by the impact of the pilot program, NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson enthusiastically supported the program’s expansion because he considers it “essential for building the kind of leadership our department, our profession, and our community need.”
Last year, the ten officers who participated in a pilot version of the program found the experience transformative and pushed for the program to be made available to more NOPD members. Vinh Nguyen, an officer in New Orleans East, shared that the program gave him the skills “to bridge the gap between community and police,” and, Desi Broussard, an officer in the French Quarter, reflected that the program “changed the way I view the world and changed the way I approach law enforcement--all for the better.”
The first cohort will begin in early 2021. Eligible NOPD officers will be able to apply for the program starting in December, and participants will be screened and selected for their leadership skills, commitment to community, and openness to new perspectives. Participating officers will continue to build the foundation for a broader movement to change the face of policing in New Orleans and across the country.
Over the course of 40 hours of intensive training and dialogue, participants will explore topics like leadership, racial equity, and trauma-informed policing. Partners from local community organizations will engage officers in critical conversations to help the NOPD understand what citizens want from law enforcement, and these experiences will help officers and citizens begin a collaborative conversation to re-imagine what public safety might look like in our city and nation.
This program is being made possible by the generous support of New Orleans Saints star player Cam Jordan and his God Iz Love Foundation, who has a long history of supporting community initiatives in New Orleans and beyond. He felt it was absolutely necessary that bolder steps were taken to ensure anti-racist and anti-bias trainings were made available to more first responders in the city of New Orleans. “In addition to community-based alternatives to policing, we need to find ways to bridge the gap between the police and the community,” said Jordan. “I have dedicated much of my life to making a positive impact in my community, and it is my greatest hope that we can move past symbolism to transformative change with the work we are doing here. While this is an important first step, I know that we have a long way to go in reimagining public safety, but I am looking forward to what we can accomplish.”
“NOPD officers want to make a positive change for our community,” shared pilot participant and NOPD officer Steven Olivotto, but, he acknowledged “the only way we can do that is as a community.” By expanding access to the program, Cam Jordan and Crescent City Corps aim to bring about the equitable, trusting community we all know is possible when first responders and citizens work together for change.
The deadline to apply for the program is December 18, 2020, and NOPD officers interested in participating in the program can submit an application at crescentcitycorps.org/apply.
For more information or to support the program please visit www.crescentcitycorps.org.
About God Iz Love Foundation
God Iz Love is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity founded by Cam and Nikki Jordan with a mission to create positive change not only in the lives of youth, but for the betterment of the community. The Foundation’s vision is to be committed to creating positive change through youth development initiatives starting in New Orleans, with the power and love of God’s light. The Jordans believe that the hope for change starts with this generation, and the responsibility continues to the next. By providing resources, positive interactions, innovative activations and experiences, God Iz Love will help foster positive influence and opportunities that inspires a brighter future.