Winston-Salem Police Foundation established
Police Chief Barry Rountree
Special to The Chronicle
Community partnerships are a critical component of enhancing relationships between residents and the police, and Winston-Salem is the latest city to create a foundation that will secure financial resources the police need to strengthen community partnerships through mentoring and community outreach.
The Winston-Salem Police Foundation, founded last May, is part of Chief Barry Rountree’s three-year plan to provide funds for tools, training, technology and equipment that might go unfunded otherwise.
The Foundation is a charitable non-profit, independent organization, designed to provide funding that can be allocated to help strengthen community and police partnerships such as mentoring programs, community outreach events and Police Athletic Leagues (PAL).
In addition, it helps promote public and officer safety, along with the ability to recognize and honor the police workforce. The Foundation follows a public-private partnership model that has proven to be highly effective in prevention and reduction of crime and fostering stronger community relations in other cities.
The 2016 Winston-Salem Police Foundation board brings together a diverse group of individuals. Officers are: Scott Sewell, president of the Foundation, of Cook Medical Inc.; Brenda Diggs, secretary, of Wachovia Bank (retired); and Perry Hudspeth, treasurer, of Hege Financial Group. Other board members are: Rod Back of Delhaize America (retired); Linda Davis of Winston–Salem Police Department (retired); Justin Gomez of the Winston-Salem Journal; Sonny Haynes of Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice; Gilmour Lake of Computer Credit Inc. (retired); and Police Chief Rountree (ex-officio member).
The Foundation allows for tax-exempt gifts from individuals, businesses and philanthropic organizations, and is the only organization authorized to raise funds on behalf of the Winston-Salem Police Department.
For more information about how to support the Winston-Salem Police Foundation, contact Scott Sewell.
