What happened last week in Dallas was devastating. The lives of innocent people were taken.

Communities need to become proactive in their solutions to this problem between law enforcement and communities.

I am proud to say that the leaders of Pearl River County have demonstrated that preemptive approach, ensuring they are ready for any scenario.

The violence between law enforcement and the public is a feud that needs to be stopped. We should treat one another like family.

Officers go into work every morning not knowing if they will come home to their families for dinner. They sacrifice themselves for the betterment of their community and we should praise them for their humble service.

Yesterday, leaders of Pearl River County, including the sheriff and chiefs of local law enforcement agencies, came together to discuss what needs to be done and how we as a county can be progressive against this nationwide controversy. They talked about the importance of body cameras for all officers to record every interaction with the public, so evidence of any situation can be found.

In my opinion, meetings that can formally and properly bring the public and law enforcement together are a necessary step to finding solutions to problems Pearl River County fortunately has not encountered at this time.

In the meeting, Pearl River County Sheriff David Allison expressed his gratitude for how well our county is being led and how they have handled previous situations that could have exploded into scenes like those we have heard of around the nation.

For example, in late May, a Picayune resident was hospitalized after allegedly shooting at two Picayune Police Officers. Luckily no fatalities occurred.

With everything going on in the nation, this situation had all the ingredients to take the national stage. However, because of how the officers and department handled it, the result was peaceful.

I am honored to be part of a community like Pearl River County. Their efforts to be a part of the national solution are inspirational. Because of the professionalism of our law enforcement, I feel safe, a sentiment that needs to be felt nationwide.