Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that FBI Director James Comey and NAACP Chairman Roslyn Brock will visit New Haven on Monday to speak at Building Bridges: The Community and Law Enforcement, a one-day event aimed at strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the African American Community.

“After the massacre at Mother Emmanuel Church in Charleston this past June, the Greater New Haven Clergy Association reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” stated U.S. Attorney Daly. “That first meeting has grown into a continuing partnership committed to building a strong relationship between law enforcement and the community at large, grounded in fairness, mutual respect and an abiding dedication to justice. We thank the many organizations that have sponsored this important discussion and the individuals who are participating. We encourage all to attend.”

The Building Bridges Conference is co-sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Greater New Haven Clergy Association, Yale Black Law Students Association, Yale Law School, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Haven Police Department, Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives for Connecticut. The Conference has been funded by the generous support of Yale Law School’s Oscar M. Ruebhausen Fund and members of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association.

“We are hopeful that this conference will be the beginning of bridging the divide between the community and law enforcement officers,” stated the Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber of the First Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven. “Thanks to U.S. Attorney Deirdre Daly, Chief Dean Esserman, Mayor Tony Harp and Rev. James Newman, President of the Clergy Association, for hearing the cry of this community. Let the healing begin, not only in this state but throughout this country.”

In addition to keynote addresses by FBI Director Comey and NAACP Chairman Brock, the conference will feature three panel discussions: Communities At Risk, Civil Rights Investigations and Prosecutions, and Project Longevity: Connecticut’s Community & Law Enforcement Partnership. The event will conclude with a performance by the Yale Gospel Choir.

The conference will be held on November 16, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School, 177 College Street, New Haven. Doors open at 12:30 through the Crown Street entrance. Parking at the Temple Street Garage will be validated for the first 100 arrivals. Entrance is free, but prior registration is requested.

Interested attendants can register at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/building-bridges-the-community-and-law-enforcement-tickets-19331254302.