Two left! Here’s a disturbing clip or two from the West Side (Good Shepherd Church, not Sequoya Library). Northside tonight, Southside tomorrow night.
Ooops, forgot to embed this!
Ugh. This is the disturbing clip, let’s just get it over with. It’s only 43 seconds.
Overall, the Westside one was a lot less hostile than the downtown one I attended. While at the downtown one the Chief characterized these sessions as “venting” sessions for citizens, he has changed them quite a bit. You can now only speak for 2 minutes (tho they didn’t really time those nice gray haired westsiders, several went on for more than 2 minutes. Betcha that doesn’t happen tonight or tomorrow.) And this seems much less about “listening” and a lot more about the Chief doing all the talking. I’m pretty sure he can’t answer a question or comment on what a person says in less than 5 minutes. He also added a “facilitator” who is basically there just to cut people off. It only happened to one lady on the westside, again, I expect more of it tonight and tomorrow night.
North District
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
6-7:30pm
North District: 2033 Londonderry Drive
South District
Thursday, February 19, 2015
6-7:30pm
Catholic Multicultural Center: 1862 Beld Street
I was kinda impressed that people asked some good questions on Monday night, I truly expected it to be a lovefest.
Here’s my two favorites:
This question is how to ensure that calling for help doesn’t end up in someone being shot.
He blames dispatch, takes no responsibility. And hey, normally they don’t shoot people. If they have a weapons, their options are limited. And they have to deal with more, sicker mentally ill people.
This one is about the police role in racial disparities.
He doesn’t really answer the question. Talks about poverty in the schools, drunk and high people, they (police) don’t think they are doing anything wrong but they have to look at unintended consequences, he asks why people aren’t more worried about the victims, talks about restorative court (after people have been arrested) and CCAP records.
He didn’t answer it last time either.
This answer starts off a little more haughty and condescending. He doesn’t have a magic wand. He blames the dialogue and again asks why people aren’t more concerned about the victims. Offers to work on legislative issues at the state that he’s “willing to lend my name to”. He just can’t answer the question.
I’d like to hear a concrete plan for how they are going to look at racial disparities and come up with some concrete steps that will be taken. He seems to point the finger in any direction but towards the department.
I’m interested in seeing if he walks out again . . .
Here’s a few more clips from the downtown session:
Justifying how he talks about Young Gifted and Black
How he will be handling protests
Talkin’ gangs, dissing former police chief David Couper, spreading fear, blaming it for racial disparities? I can’t tell how he rambles from subject to subject and how he finds them connected.
Interested in how the next two nights go.
