Change of Heart: Aurora Officers' Efforts Prompt Sisters to Rethink Opinions About Police.

• Author: Nelson, Christopher

SYMONE BARNES HAD SEEN the news stories and the social media reports about Tamir Rice, Philando Casteel, Freddie Gray and other African-Americans who died after encounters with police officers.

An African-American student at West Aurora High School, her mind was made up--she had already decided that she could not trust the police. Her younger sister, Dezember Barnes, was the same.

"We hated law enforcement," Symone said bluntly. "We saw a lot of negative things on social media and in the news. It took a toll on my opinion. I was scared to do certain things. I didn't get my driver's license right away because of what I'd seen."

The sisters' opinions dramatically changed, however, thanks to the efforts of several Aurora police officers through the annual summer Law Enforcement Youth Academy, which is sponsored by the Kane County State's Attorney's Office in partnership with the Aurora Police Department and the Kane County Sheriff's Office.

The Barnes sisters were at first unwilling participants, but quickly changed their minds, not only about the academy, but also their personal feelings about police officers and the important role police officers play in the community.

'FORGET THE BAD SEEDS'

Terra Barnes knew her daughters' fears, and she shared many of them. Her family was related through a marriage to Sandra Bland, the former Naperville woman who in 2015 was found dead in a Texas jail cell after she was arrested during a traffic stop. Although Bland's death was ruled a suicide, questions linger about how and why she died.

Terra also believed that despite their fears, her daughters needed to understand that far more police officers than not are good, fair and trustworthy.

So late this past spring, not long after Dezember had been bullied at school and then felt that her complaint about being bullied was mishandled, Terra made a desperate call to the SAO's Pam Bradley to inquire about the academy.

"I knew if they came across one good person, maybe they'd forget about the bad seeds," said Terra, who helps to manage a family catering business in Aurora, Illinois' second-most populous city.

Pam, who is in her 19th year with the Kane SAO, coordinates the academy, which completed its 15th year this past August. Pam, who works in the Child Support Unit, gets assistance for the academy from the SAO, along with the Aurora Police Department, the City of Aurora, the Kane County Sheriff's Office, the FBI and Kane County judges.

The academy runs for...