That's So Cincinnati: Police leader details his takeaways after crossing barrier, listening to protesters

It'd be hard to find a law enforcement officer anywhere who understands police-community relations better than Cincinnati assistant police chief Paul Neudigate.

The 30-year policeman last week climbed over a barrier during a racial equality protest and took the opportunity to talk with and listen to peaceful protesters. And he quickly realized: There's work to be done to bridge the relationship between police officers and a younger generation of Cincinnatians. 

What protesters were saying "it hurt a little bit," Neudigate told The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast, because the police department has greatly improved its relationship with the community since the 2001 riots.

"We have always said we have to work on our relationships with the community every single day," Neudigate said. "We had thought that we were getting close. That if something bad went down, the community knew that we're a new police department. We were much more responsive. We were much more transparent. We were much more engaging. And I think what we saw is we're just not there yet."

Neudigate on June 2 crossed a barrier and began having conversations with protesters, a moment captured on video. He exchanged phone numbers with some of the protesters and has remained in touch with some of them, helping to answer their questions.

He's been a leader in helping the department improve its relationships and reputation in neighborhoods across the city. It was part of the Collaborative Agreement that came out of the 2001 unrest, and Cincinnati police have been nationally recognized for its relationships in the community. 

But Neudigate acknowledged that many younger citizens don't remember what happened 19 years ago, and some weren't born yet. The department needs to improve its public relations efforts, said Neudigate, who does a good job sharing news and positive stories on his Twitter feed. 

"What I'm finding out from those conversations is a lot of the things that (protesters) want, a lot of the things that they think that we should be doing, we're already doing," Neudigate said. "We're just not doing a good enough job of making sure that the community is aware of all the different pieces that we've got moving."

Neudigate's podcast interview offers candid insight into the Cincinnati police, including how the department's response compared to 2001.

Neudigate's interview begins at the 21:15 mark in the episode.