Mayor Dyer, OPD officials to meet with citizens, city leaders at Citrus Bowl

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police on Tuesday will meet with citizens and leaders to discuss how to better communicate with the community, something Mayor Buddy Dyer said is critical to strengthening relationships between police and residents.

The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Citrus Bowl, and Dyer, along with police Chief John Mina, will be on-hand in the first of a series of Orlando Speaks workshops.

The three-hour workshop is a way for both sides to share personal stories and experiences that help police and citizens interact with each other with more understanding.

The initiative will pull residents from different racial ethnic and cultural backgrounds together.

Earlier this year, Dyer spoke about how hard local officers work serving the community every day, but he also acknowledged that some of those officers have not behaved appropriately and because of that, they are facing charges.

"For this kind of community policing to work, there must be mutual respect and trust through police and citizens.  We count on support of our residents, and we know our officers must earn their confidence," Dyer said.

WFTV