AVON, Ind. — There are tensions right now between police and communities with protests and boycotts over racial injustice.
In the midst of calls to defund the police, one young man is hoping to join the force and change things for the better.
Chants have been heard around the world as many protesters call for police accountability over excessive use of force and the shooting deaths of Black men and women.
But many, like Kentrell Harris, want to bring forth change by joining the ranks of the Avon Police Department.
"I feel like it's my purpose. I feel like I was born to help people," Harris said.
On Tuesday, Harris was one of dozens of officer candidates being interviewed, becoming one step closer to making his childhood dream become reality.
"You have to have that courage to want to help people, to be a difference," he said.
That difference is helping to repair the disconnect between law enforcement and the Black community.
"I can bridge that gap, create an understanding, create a communication, break that barrier between the two," Harris said.
Avon Police Deputy Chief Brian Nugent said a key component to becoming an officer is finding candidates who want to serve something higher than themselves.
"Because you're going to be faced with dark and gloomy days and you're going to be faced with adversity...and how that individual chooses to respond to that adversity, what defense mechanisms do they use, how do they handle stress, how do they compartmentalize things that they're handling on a very regular basis," Nugent said. "Because if we're not giving them to tools to adequately deal with that, they're going to essentially find themselves in a pressure cooker of emotion."
Harris said his emotions are in check. He's more concerned with restoring public trust in law enforcement.
"To me, there's been years of this back and forth between law enforcement and the Black community, but I believe as a police officer it would be my responsibility to say, 'Hey you can trust me. Hey, I'm here to help you. Hey, call me and I will be there for you,'" Harris said.