Officer AJ Blake has a termination hearing scheduled on Friday.A group of white Greensboro citizens, including former Mayor Carolyn Allen; the Rt. Rev. Chip Marble, assisting bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina; the Rev. Z. Holler and the Rev. Randall Keeney joined the Pulpit Forum today in calling for an outside investigation of the Greensboro Police Department during a press conference held at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.
The current police leadership, represented by acting Chief Dwight Crotts, is, in fact, a faction within the department -- the faction that holds the power, the faction that has been the target of numerous unsolved grievances. The officers that are being terminated have been among the most vocal critics of this leadership. City Manager Young has decided to side with the leadership faction. The incoming chief will inherit this leadership, which will give him a major stake in one faction of the department.
We believe that an outside investigation by an independent board with subpoena power or by the US Justice Department is needed. We call on City Manager Young to do the following: Number-one: Suspend the disciplinary proceedings against Capt. Cherry and officers Blake, Pryor, Royal and Reyes. Two: Ensure that the incoming chief builds a new leadership team that is not tainted by the current departmental divisions. Three: Work with the city council to create an independent citizen review board with subpoena power and ask that board to help the city manager assess and resolve these personnel issues and outstanding grievances. Number four: With the new chief, commit the department to a new era of transparency and public accountability.
"The police cannot police themselves, and I’d have to say with 39 officers bringing suits against the police department, and five now that are potentially going to be fired, including Chief Cherry, who have brought charges to them," Marble said. "And I have to say that’s one of the primary reasons they’re being suspended and dismissed and fired. An independent investigation is desperately needed."
Clarification: Cherry is a captain, not a chief.
Most of the presenters' comments focused on historical context of race and justice in Greensboro rather than specifics about the disciplinary issues facing Capt. Charles Cherry, Officer AJ Blake, Officer Joseph Pryor, Officer Robert Reyes and Officer Michael Royal.
I have not been able to reach City Manager Rashad Young for comment today.
At-large Councilman Robbie Perkins responded forcefully to Allen and company's request, but left the door open for reconsideration.
"That's going nowhere," he said. "You have a manager who's doing his job. We just hired a new chief. Give them a chance. I'm not supportive of any outside investigation at this point." [Emphasis mine.]
Perkins indicated he is not moved to question administrative decisions by the fact that a captain is facing termination, along with three other officers.
"The manager's doing his job through his office," he said. "He's calling the shots. He's calling 'em like he sees 'em. I support Rashad Young. I don't have the details. I'm going to support him until I'm proven wrong. Let the manager do his job. I'm not supporting any outside investigation at this point."
Allen made only brief remarks during the press conference, but said that two unsuccessful attempts were made to create a police review board with subpoena power during her tenure on city council.
Keeney challenged those who believe that racism and discrimination is a thing of the past to pinpoint exactly when it was overcome.
“Exactly when did the racism in Greensboro end that you say doesn’t exist anymore?" he asked. "Inertia is the idea that things in motion tend to stay in motion unless they’re acted upon by outside object. And I wonder what acted upon Greensboro’s culture of discrimination and racism that changed it? Was it the sit-in movement in 1960 that was resisted? Was it the civil rights movement in the 1960s that was resisted, that packed jails? Was it the election of a black president of Dudley High School that the police responded to, that led that group to go to A&T to get refuge, that led to the National Guard coming out and one person being killed? Did that change it?
“Did it get changed in 1979 when the police department and members of government knew that a caravan of KKK members were on their way to Morningside Homes with weapons in their trunks ready to shoot people?" Keeney continued. "Did it change before or after the police person in charge sent the police to lunch when the Klan got there? Did it change afterwards, when no one was held accountable? Did it change afterwards when the city council refused to accept the truth and reconciliation process? When did it change? Somebody tell me what object acted on this inertia that is Greensboro’s racism to change it? I would suggest to you, nothing. That some of the names are different, some of the issues are different, but that same culture is there that turned a blind eye to the assassinations of five people on Nov. 3, 1979 and held no one responsible for the killing of a man at North Carolina A&T in 1969. And I wonder what event is to occur in the future. I think it’s time that we as citizens of Greensboro say, ‘It’s time for a new day in this city, not just a new chief. It’s time for a new day.’”
Meanwhile, the story gets statewide play.
The Rt. Rev. Chip Marble, the Rev. Randall Keeney and Carolyn Allen 
2 comments:
"We believe that an outside investigation by an independent board ..... "
We = A white newspaper faction of two reporting about a white faction of citizens it disagrees with as if it is some powerhouse think tank and not a delusion of grandeur. Ha! YES! WEAKLY is more like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz.
Mike, the statement was made by a group of white citizens whose names I have already published. I'm not sure how you arrive at the conclusion that this is a statement made by a newspaper.
Post a Comment