During the spring 2017 semester, graduate students in Dr. Powers' Seminar in Violence participated in a project with the city of Palmetto as part of USF's inaugural Community Sustainability Partnership Program (CSPP). This campus-wide initiative entails students and faculty working with community officials to complete projects relevant to Palmetto. Dr. Powers' class examined citizens' perceptions of crime in Palmetto and attitudes toward the police in an effort to inform Palmetto Police Department's community-oriented policing efforts. Over the course of a semester the students developed and analyzed a community survey administered to all residents in the city as well as facilitated and analyzed data from focus groups with residents and business owners.

Throughout the semester, Chief Tyler was instrumental in facilitating the project as well as engaging the students. He truly embodied a community partner - he approached this project as a collaboration between the Department of Criminology and the Palmetto Police Department. He was generous with his time and resources and ensured that the students' had a positive and meaningful learning experience.