Meet the Carrollton Police Departments's 'bridge builders'

CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. - The Carrollton Police Department is putting a priority on relationships. That sometimes means going above and beyond in unexpected ways. They call themselves “Bridge Builders” in the community and for good reason.

It is the most important work they could do this week. Sgt. Omerio Potts and Officer Michael McDowell are working to build legitimate trust between the department and the community. Their message is simple: the officers of the Carrollton Police Department are there for the right reasons.

That means the partners might at the park playing with the children or teaching a summer football camp. It might seem like fun and games, but it can be intense, especially the gridiron drills.

Their unit is called C.O.P.S. which stands for Community Oriented Police Services. Their focus is on the community, so when they’re not hanging with the kids, they’re checking on seniors and those with special needs.

They even got involved in this week's protests in their city.

Their hope is their time out listening and interacting with citizens can help transform the way they are perceived and allow a trust to form.

Potts and McDowell say unless they're really busy they have the time to be involved like this in their community. So, if something pop-ups don't be surprised to see them around.