ISSMass

The Islamic Society of Southeastern Massachusetts was deeply honored to host New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira, Deputy Chief Adelino Sousa and Lt Scott Carola on Saturday June 4, 2022 at Masjid Al Ehsan.  Chief Oliveira and his team specifically reached out to the newly-arrived Afghan families to welcome them to New Bedford and to establish a feeling of trust and cooperation with the New Bedford Police Department.  

 

The presentation introduced the Afghan families to their rights and protections under the law and how the NBPD can assist them in  protecting those rights.  The slides also covered areas of importance to the families such as calling 911 for help, dealing with potential threats and harassment, domestic violence, risk of drug abuse and what to do in case of an accident.  

 

Chief Oliveira ordered pizza that was delivered generously at no charge by Nelson Hockert-Lotz and Tony Squizzero of "Dominos Pizza." The Chief also offered toys donated by "Safe Zones Fill the Bus"  to all the children, who left beaming with delight.  Everyone got a chance to take pictures with the Chief and his team.  Most importantly the meeting developed a level of trust in the police department that does not exist in Afghanistan.

 

All the Afghan families and the members of Masjid Al Ehsan are extremely grateful to Chief Oliveira, Deputy Chief Sousa and Lt Carola for this initiative to help our new Afghan families feel at home in New Bedford.