SEATTLE — A Seattle non-profit is connecting the community through haircuts.
Father and Sons Together, known as F.A.S.T., hosted what's called a "barbershop chat" at Rainier Beach Community Center.
Reverend Dr. Tony Brooks Sr. with Brooks Family Barber Shop was one of about a dozen barbers who took part in the event.
"Barbershop chat is the way of our community. Communication. This is where we come and chop it up," Brooks said.
Seattle police Officer Aaron Lucas Sr. also volunteered his time.
"This is the connection in the barbershop. You can talk about everything. You can kind of hear about everything," said Lucas.
Lucas started cutting hair when he was 15-years-old, and during his time in the Navy, he served as a barber aboard ship.
"Once I got out, I had a barbershop up in the Central District off of Jackson Street from 1995 to 2010, and then after that, I became a Seattle police Officer," said Lucas.
He even cut a few fellow officers hair in his time as a barber, including Officer Lyndell Jones. While cutting Jones' hair, Lucas would talk about what he didn't like about the Seattle Police Department.
"Officer Lyndell would say, 'Why complain about it? Why don't you come on the department and be a difference?'" Lucas explained.
So he did. Lucas joined the force nine years ago. He works with the Community Outreach and Youth Violence Prevention Unit.
Lucas said it's important to communicate with children in the community and connect with them on their level to help understand what may be going on in their lives.
"There could be all kinds of trauma going on, you just don't know," said Lucas. "One of the biggest things I think is communication and just treating people with dignity and respect. It goes a long way."