Arlington County police tout LGBTQ+ Liaison Team at Pride event
ARLINGTON, Va. (DC News Now) — During the final days of Pride Month, Arlington County first responders spent the day talking — and celebrating — with LGBTQ+ community members.
The Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) hosted the 4th annual Pride with the Police event at Freddie’s Beach Bar alongside fire, sheriffs and other emergency personnel. Among their goals at the event was to promote their LGBTQ+ Liason Team.
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A spokesperson for the department said the team is made up of volunteer officers who work in other areas of ACPD, who come together to connect with LGBTQ+ community members — addressing their concerns, whether or not it relates to public safety.
“I think building those relationships before they need law enforcement services are really important,” Ashley Savage, the public information officer for ACPD, said. “[We want to] really just build a collective feeling in our community to build upon safety, ensure everybody’s heard, everybody feels like they’re supported and everybody has a resource.”
The event took place at the same bar where a bomb threat delayed a drag brunch a few months earlier. The bar’s owner, Freddie Lutz, said the police have always been supportive and helpful, including on that day.
“Anytime anything’s happened, like after the Pulse nightclub shooting, they’re here with their sympathy, offering help and assistance,” Lutz said.
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Among those who participated in the event was Safe Space NOVA, an organization which works to help LGBTQ+ youth. Executive Director Tyler Jensen told DC News Now he believes the police partnership is important.
“It was just really nice to see that our community backs them just as much as the folks in blue back us,” he said. “There can be issues with domestic violence that [young LGBTQ+ people in relationships] don’t fully understand. And they’re not quite understood by straight, more heterosexual folks. Someone at the police department who can really understand those issues and the special challenges that these youth face is going to be really helpful when it comes to guiding them toward healthy relationships.”
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