Cops meditating with public might help bring peace, yoga teacher says

Posted: December 17, 2014 at 8:53 am


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Imagine dozens of cops sitting in mindful meditation, channeling calm in a display of peace and unity, surrounded by their fellow citizens.

Kelsey Cavanagh can.

The 25-year-old Hollywood yoga teacher is organizing a free "People & Police for Peace" meditation at 6 p.m. Jan. 7 at the ArtsPark on Young Circle.

A native of Maine who went to college in Boston, Cavanagh envisions police coming from all over South Florida to breathe together in guided meditation. She plans to reach out to the Broward Sheriff's Office along with several agencies, including Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

"We would rather work with them in peace than protest," Cavanagh said. "We know that officers are people and have hearts. Police brutality is the hot-button issue right now. We would like to see cops in uniform sitting in peace and showing the public that this is a stepping stone to open up conversations about reform. We want to work with people on a heart level and create a forum for mindfulness and conversation."

All cops are welcome whether they are in uniform or not, she says.

Eugene O'Donnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, praised Cavanagh for coming up with a plan for peace even as people across the nation take to the streets to protest.

"The conversation about policing has become polarized and facts have often been the first casualty," O'Donnell said. "So anything that can bridge the divide can't be anything but positive."

But will the cops come?

Jeff Marano, a retired Hollywood cop and president of the Broward County Police Benevolent Association, doubts it. Still, he promised to let officers know about the event by posting details on the union's Facebook page.

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Cops meditating with public might help bring peace, yoga teacher says

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December 17th, 2014 at 8:53 am

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