Keeping an eye on the George Floyd case

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

Gadfly keeping an eye on criminal proceedings against the main police officer in the George Floyd incident.

Recognizing the speed of the news cycle and the shortness of the media attention span, Gadfly has been afraid that the moment to ask questions about how we do public safety locally in Bethlehem may pass.

There may be some relevant public safety discussion in upcoming budget hearings, and a Public Safety Committee hearing is promised for early in the new year.

Gadfly is especially interested here in the fact that there is “history” of charges of excessive use of force against the offending officer, charges that were dismissed by the police department internal review.

Gadfly thinks we should know more about how we handle police conduct cases here.

Do we have a situation in which an officer charged with excessive use of force on multiple occasions but cleared can continue to serve without some adjustments such as an early warning system or a citizen review board?

Gadfly implies no failures by our police department. These are simply questions that need to be asked. This is simply information that needs to be discussed.

Selections from Holly Bailey, “Former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death seeks to bar evidence of past neck and body restraints.” Washington Post, November 17, 2020.

Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who held his knee at George Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes and is now charged with his murder, has asked the judge in his case to block prosecutors from introducing evidence of his allegedly having used similar neck and body restraints on other suspects. Chauvin’s lawyer argues in new court documents that his “use of force” in those cases was legal and cleared by police supervisors.

Prosecutors have said they want to cite eight incidents from Chauvin’s 19-year career as a Minneapolis police officer to show a pattern of excessive force and behavior similar to the Memorial Day encounter that left Floyd dead. Prosecutors want to include four cases from 2014 to 2019 in which they claim Chauvin restrained suspects “beyond the point when such force was needed.”

In a court filing Monday, Eric Nelson, Chauvin’s attorney, asked Hennepin County District Judge Peter A. Cahill, who is overseeing the case, to block that proposed evidence, arguing that his client had used approved force and, after routine investigations, had been essentially “acquitted by MPD supervisors of applying force in a manner that was either unreasonable or unauthorized.”

“The state attempts to characterize Mr. Chauvin’s use of force as ‘unreasonable’ or ‘beyond what was needed,’ ” Nelson wrote, noting that Chauvin had reported his use of force in each of the incidents. “And in every single one, it was determined by a supervisor that Mr. Chauvin’s use of force was reasonable in the circumstances and authorized by law and MPD policy.”

One of the cases prosecutors have sought to mention at Chauvin’s trial is a July 2019 domestic disturbance incident in which a caller reported that a man had poured gasoline throughout a house and was armed with a knife. In seeking to subdue the suspect and keep him from reaching for scissors on a nearby table, Chauvin allegedly “delivered a single kick” to the man’s midsection and then applied a neck restraint, causing the man to lose consciousness.

Chauvin later told a supervisor that he realized the man had passed out and placed him in a “recovery position” until he “came to,” prosecutors said, something they say the officer did not do when Floyd complained of struggling to breathe.

In what appears to be a new defense argument, Nelson repeatedly claimed Chauvin did not use a neck restraint on Floyd but rather what he called “body weight control techniques.”

That is a shift from previous defense motions, in which Nelson defended how Chauvin handled Floyd by arguing that he used an approved neck restraint. In an August motion to dismiss charges, Nelson filed exhibits that included past department training materials with photos demonstrating the knee-on-neck hold similar to the one Chauvin used on Floyd and argued that his client “did exactly as he was trained to do.”

Prosecutors said in a filing Monday that they want to show the jury body-camera video of one of the incidents: a September 2017 encounter where Chauvin allegedly hit a 14-year-old boy in the head with a flashlight during a domestic assault investigation and then restrained him with a knee to the back for 17 minutes even though the child was handcuffed and complained of struggling to breathe. According to prosecutors, the boy’s mother, who had called police, repeatedly asked Chauvin to get off her son, who was bleeding from the ear and later received stitches. Prosecutors described Chauvin’s behavior as “far more violent and forceful” than his police report had implied.

[Defense attorney] argued that allowing the incidents to be cited as evidence before a jury would violate Minnesota legal precedents on how past acts can and cannot be used in current cases. Nelson wrote that he thinks prosecutors want to use past incidents to “illegally prove propensity,” which he argued is not allowed under state law and would be “unfairly prejudicial.”

If Gadfly had his way . . .

Latest in a series of posts about the death of Walter Wallace

Gadfly is concerned about a Walter Williams “first contact” situation here.

Gadfly feels he has good reason to be concerned.

Walter Williams is the tip of an iceberg going back to Jacob Blake, Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd and beyond to

Gadfly guesses some people will say such an incident is not likely here, we are a good town, we have a good police force, but he also guesses that towns like Kenosha and Ferguson felt that way too.

Gadfly suggests nothing negative about our police department.

He would just like to know how our police department would handle such a “first contact” situation and whether such tragic events have prompted any re-thinking or brand-new thinking relative to such situations.

Gadfly feels that the “first contact” situation is “the” front-burner problem in policing today.

And thus he was frustrated at the way it was, in his opinion, buried at the October 29 Committee of the Whole meeting.

What we learned at that meeting (and rolled out a bit more at the November 9 budget meeting — and Gadfly will get to that meeting in more detail shortly) is that the City, in a pilot program, is reassigning a social worker funded mostly (how much exactly has been left vague) on grant money to handle a variety of mental-health type referrals from police officers. There also will be a freebie intern from Kutztown during the academic year. The idea is to save police time with repeated calls regarding a troubled individual and to cut down on the number of arrests.

All well and good.

But this plan does not relate (directly anyway) to the first contact situation.

Gadfly assumes that a person referred by the police would have to voluntarily comply with interaction with the social worker and with whatever mental health or counseling treatment was appropriate. So there’s no guarantee that a referral will avoid a first contact situation.

Even a person who voluntarily complies might “go off” at a some point and create a first contact situation.

And there could be/would be first contact situations with people not previously known to the police.

So Gadfly was not satisfied with our response.

He felt the October 29 meeting was a waste. Everybody who was anybody was in the room. The time was ripe for a good discussion.

But the elephant was not in the room.

With great presumption, he realizes, Gadfly has said he would have run the October 29 meeting differently.

He would have put this picture up on the Town Hall screen and played this short video and this short video.

And asked the assembled very directly, “How are our officers trained to handle a situation like this?” “If you agree that there was not a good outcome here for either the subject, or the officers (it must be shattering to kill some one in any circumstance), or the community, how do we avoid such an outcome?”

This is the focused point at which Gadfly would start the discussion with all the players in the room.

And if (when) discussion flagged a bit, he would play a few seconds of Walter Wallace’s mother screaming over his body.

All along, Gadfly has been puzzled with the City and City Council’s pace and indirection in dealing with the post-GeorgeFloyd reckoning with race, but he is glad to hear that there will be another meeting with the police after the turn of the year to deal with such matters as the first contact response.

But Gadfly found something interesting in his mail bag last week that might relate to the lack of urgency that has frustrated Gadfly.

Incident in Philadelphia (10): system failure

Latest in a series of posts about the death of Walter Wallace

The subject’s name was Walter Wallace.

Ok, in 9 posts Gadfly has tried to wrap hisself around the October 26 incident in Philadelphia as a proximate point of reference with which to judge the City’s proposed changes in policing talked about at the Committee of the Whole meeting October 29 and at the Budget hearing November 9.

And he has invited you to wrap yourselves around that incident in Philadelphia too.

The Wallace incident was the cause of Gadfly’s frustrated little outburst about confronting the “first contact” situation at the Committee of the Whole meeting.

He did not feel the need to speak at the Budget meeting because Walter Wallace’s name was invoked several times by both the virtual Head Tablers and the caller-commenters.

So, before we go on, join me with pulling together a bullet list of salient points about that incident.

Compare your list with mine.

What did Gadfly miss?

What do we see?

Police were called to the Wallace house twice before on the same day October 26.
Phone calls to the police made clear it was a mental health problem not a crime.
The call proximate to the event asked for an ambulance.
There were 31 prior contacts over time with WW’s house.
WW had a long “rap sheet,” but we don’t know the nature of his offenses.
WW was (or should have been) “known” to the police.
The officers made no attempt at de-escalation.
WW was dead within a minute of “first contact” with the officers.
Police shoot 14 times.
WW is killed in front of his mother, wife, family, dozens of neighbors — lots of trauma to go around.
Listen to WW’s mother screaming over his body.
WW had just gotten married, his wife delivered a baby shortly after the event, he had 9 children.
WW was carrying a 4-inch blade pocket knife.
WW was advancing on the officers but not charging or running.
The officers did multiple times tell WW to drop his weapon.
The street scene was noisy and chaotic.
It was estimated that 15 feet separated the officers from WW.
The police were armed only with guns, they had no tasers, no non-lethal weapons.
Police Union: WW initiated the action.
Police Union: WW ignored numerous lawful orders to drop his weapon while advancing on the officers.
Police Union: officers are blameless, they followed their training and police department policy.
The officers are in their mid-20s and on the force c. 3 years — young but not unseasoned or rookies.
Did the officers panic? Tension was high. Lots of screaming.
The police officers look white, but their race is not specified.
Both WW’s parents imply racism, lack of respect, unconcern for humanity.
WW’s mother reports that an officer on one of the earlier visits that day laughed at them.
The officers are heard saying “get him” and “shoot him” just before the shooting.
The shooting initiates several days of harsh and ugly unrest, confrontations, and looting in the city.
The National Guard is called in.
Wallace’s family urges calm.
The Mayor, Police Chief, etc., etc. know immediately on looking at the bodycams and other video that the officers screwed up.
City officials offer no defense of the officers.
The Police Chief offers no defense of the officers.
The police chief is a female.
The Police Chief did explain the nature and amount of deescalation training officers get in the Academy.
The District Attorney engages immediately in sympathetic way with the Wallace family, fights back tears at WW’s wake.
Philadelphia is a “Democratic” City.
The Wallace family don’t want murder charges, blame City for officers without tasers.
The Wallace family suggests some defunding.
In public statements, City officials talk mainly about what they will learn from this incident.
Quick release of the bodycam videos for the first time in such a case is touted as a sign of the City doing the right thing.
In public statements, City officials talk mainly about new or nearly new programs to avoid such incidents in the future.
A new program put a behavioral health specialist in the dispatch room, but that person was not there when this call came in.
In public statements, City officials focus on their after-the-fact actions to avoid such incidents in the future.
In public statements, the sense of City officials is that WW did not die in vain, that good will come from this tragedy.
In public statements, the City is in an “after-the-fact” humble, penitent reform mode. A we’ve-got-to-do-better mode.
The Police Chief is now requesting a review of the department’s training in handling mentally ill people and is exploring other models to address the problem.
The Police Chief pledges reforms by late next year.
The Mayor talks about healing for the city not the Wallace family.
The Wallace lawyer — himself a former officer — says police are trained to kill.
The Wallace family plans to sue. Past history suggests that they will receive a huge settlement.
WW had an “existing relationship” with a mental health organization in the neighborhood that police knew or should have known about.
That organization was not contacted that day.
That organization had previously offered many times to formally partner with the police department on such mental health calls, but the department did not take them up on their persistent offer.
The Twitterverse shows little if any compassion for WW.
The Twitterverse suggests that crying “mental health” is a dodge now consciously and artfully employed to excuse individual responsibility.
The Twitterverse blames WW for not obeying a lawful order and for being a “criminal.”
The Twitterverse opinion is that WW got what he deserved.

What do we see here?

Gadfly feels that one thing we see is system failure, massive system failure.

Gadfly is no “abolitionist,” but he can’t help but feel a tug of truth in the suggestion by the Minneapolis abolitionist at the NCC conference that a police department structure whose only response to tragedies is a cycle of reform in catch-up mode may not be worth supporting.

But, sigh, ok, in this national climate of examining how we do public safety, what should Bethlehem’s response be?

Next.

Incident in Philadelphia (9): the “official” response

Latest in a series of posts about the death of Walter Wallace

“The real violence was perpetrated by a knife-wielding man, who confronted our police officers,” [Police Union president] John McNesby said in a statement. “These officers followed their training and police department policy. It’s completely inappropriate that these officers continue to be vilified for doing their job.”

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The Mayor
click here, mins. 18-20

Will be announcing new programs. Releasing bodycam footage. Recognizes a feeling that nothing has changed. A willingness to be transparent and accountable is a sign that things must change, are changing. Shining a light that will bring a new day — peace, trust, healing. Open process that will help us heal.

The Police Chief
click here, mins, 25:40-30

After detailing the internal investigative process regarding officer action, calls special attention to explanation of programs (some in process) designed to improve the department’s “service to the community” and about to be implemented with the Department of Behavioral Health, involving deescalation training, a medical health person embedded with dispatch and police radio, implicit bias training, active bystanderdship training (officers intervening with other officers), with a decision-tree for dispatchers.

Behavioral Health official
click here, mins. 30-38

Points to long history of collaboration with police. Innovative initiatives with health-centered approach to law enforcement. Beginning a class with dispatchers next week. Embedded program of mental health specialists. Mental health navigator in dispatch room. Has “Network of Neighbors” coalition. Sadly trauma is ongoing.

The District Attorney

The District Attorney pledged support to the Wallace family, praised them for willingness to release the bodycam footage, and “fought back tears” at the wake, saying, “Philadelphia owes you a lot.”

Incident in Philadelphia (8): the mental health connection (or lack thereof)

Latest in a series of posts about the death of Walter Wallace

The (West Philadelphia) Consortium

The missing link.

Selections from Max Marin and Michaela Winberg, “Philly police rebuffed offers from crisis response center to work together, director says.” BillyPenn, October 29, 2020.

The executive director [John White] of the West Philadelphia Consortium, a mental health crisis response center, can’t escape the feeling he could have saved Walter Wallace Jr.’s life.

Staffers at his center had an existing relationship with the 27-year-old. They knew him and a few of his family members intimately. And their office sits just five blocks from where Wallace was killed by police Monday afternoon.

But they didn’t get the call when he reportedly suffered a mental health breakdown outside his home.

Police did — and it ended in gunfire.

“I’ve been asking myself why,” White said. “There’s a sense of guilt, knowing and believing that if we had been involved we could have made a difference.”

By Outlaw’s [the Philadelphia Police Chief] own admission, the department has failed to build a formal relationship with crisis response providers like the West Philadelphia Consortium, despite what director White describes as persistent requests.

Instead, his organization relies on an informal network of police officers and city residents to summon them to the scene of a crisis.

Upon arrival, these unarmed mental health professionals can offer on-site counseling, medication, transport to a hospital and signups for outpatient care. The teams are experts in de-escalation, White said. In more than 1,200 interventions last year, he said only six resulted in police arresting someone at the scene. None resulted in deaths.

While the city does fund several crisis response providers to help with mental health emergencies, there’s no official connection to the Police Department.

The PPD does not have its own behavioral health unit, either, according to Outlaw. While White told Billy Penn he’s been talking with police officials for months to formally integrate his services, the commissioner wasn’t aware of any such conversations. Asked about this at a briefing Wednesday, she vowed to implement a new unit in the department “as soon as possible.”

“There’s clearly a disconnect on our end in terms of knowing what’s out there,” Outlaw said. “There hasn’t been any coordination.”

A month before Wallace’s death, the PPD began a new program, under which a behavioral health expert is seated in the radio room with 911 dispatchers, who’ll employ a procedure for flagging emergency calls that might have mental health risk.

That point person wasn’t in the room when the emergency calls came in on Monday, according to Commissioner Outlaw.

With a formal system lacking, White started distributing West Philadelphia Consortium contact info directly to police on the ground

As a result of this outreach, which began early last year, many officers in West Philly’s 12th, 16th and 18th police districts know about the consortium’s services. They often call the organization themselves when they know they’re responding to a mental health emergency, White said.

The consortium’s mobile crisis team is made up of two units, three people each: a clinician, a counselor and a nurse practitioner. Each team has its own van, and can respond to a call from the Schuylkill to the end of Cobbs Creek, from City Line Avenue to Philadelphia International Airport, within 10 to 12 minutes, per White.

Even if these teams are first on the scene, called by family or neighbors, they sometimes ask for police assistance if a person needs to be involuntarily brought in for an evaluation.

“The first step is to try to get someone to go in voluntarily,” said Rob Wetherington, an outreach worker and mental health advocate in the city. “We’ve known for a long time the Pandora’s box that can get opened when officers get involved.”

For White, getting experts to the scene quickly is the most important factor to deterring bad outcomes.

“The main purpose is to deescalate tense situations that arise,” White said. “In virtually every situation that we have been involved in, if the assessment does not include a crime, assault or threats to others, the police yield to our judgment.”

———

Taylor Allen, “Walter Wallace Jr.’s neighbors say bodycam footage reveals systemic problems — and they have solutions.” WHYY, November 6, 2020.

Michaela Winberg, “How mental health pros intervene on a 911 call — what didn’t happen for Walter Wallace Jr.” BillyPenn, November 9, 2020.

Incident in Philadelphia (7): the subject’s father and mother

Latest in a series of posts about the death of Walter Wallace

The subject’s name was Walter Wallace.

We continue to fill in the picture around the death of Walter Wallace.

The subject’s father asks for respect. “They’re” labeling us — drunks and alcoholics. (2 1/2 mins.)

Selections from Bill Hutchinson, “‘They didn’t give a damn’: Mother of slain Walter Wallace says police knew her son was in a mental crisis.” October 28, 2020.

Police responded to the family’s home three times on the day of the shooting.

The mother of the 27-year-old Philadelphia man who was gunned down by officers Monday in front of his family’s home said police knew he was having a mental crisis because she told them and begged them not to shoot him.

The killing of Walter Wallace Jr. has sparked protests as well as rioting and looting in Philadelphia and beyond, and mirrors what experts say is an ongoing problem nationwide of law enforcement officers using deadly force on mentally ill people.

Wallace’s mother, Cathy Wallace, said police were called to her home three times on Monday but were not able to help her and her family deal with the mental-health emergency her son was experiencing. She said that when officers returned to her home the third time, they ended up shooting her son multiple times when he broke free of her and appeared to step toward two officers with a knife.

“I was telling the police to stop, ‘Don’t shoot my son, please, don’t shoot my son,'” Cathy Wallace said at a news conference Tuesday night. “They paid me no mind and they just shot him.”

She said the first two times the police came to her home on Monday, they only irritated her son, the father of nine children, instead of helping him.

“They weren’t trying to help us, they didn’t give a damn about us,” Cathy Wallace alleged. “My son said, ‘Look at them, they standing there laughing at us.’ So I took my son and I and walked down the street and left the cops standing out there.”

The shooting erupted around 4 p.m. on Monday after Wallace’s brother called 911 and requested an ambulance and medical intervention for Wallace. The police showed up again, Cathy Wallace said, even though the family had only asked for an ambulance.

Regarding her son’s history of mental health issues, Cathy Wallace said “they already knew about it; it’s already on his record,” due to the dozens of times the police had been called to her home in the past.

“Officers who are properly trained should notice certain things when they arrive at a scene,” Johnson said. “Especially when his wife tells you, ‘Stand down officers, he’s manic bipolar.'”

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said at a news conference on Tuesday that the two officers involved in the shooting did not have less-lethal tools, like stun guns, due to a department-wide lack of resources.

“We have to adapt our training,” said Outlaw, who was appointed Philadelphia’s police commissioner in February after serving as chief of the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice recommended that all Philadelphia officers be issued stun guns to carry at all times. Outlaw said that while the department has equipped many officers with stun guns, it is still working to ensure all 6,300 officers have them.

She said they still need another 2,000 stun guns to equip the entire police force.

Outlaw said during a Zoom news conference on Wednesday afternoon that she has requested a review of the department’s training in handling mentally ill people and is exploring other models to address the problem.

“It’s a plethora of things; it’s not just how we respond to someone with a weapon, it’s how we respond to someone in crisis,” Outlaw said. “And that’s not just at the patrol level. We also need to look at what we’re dispatching, how we’re dispatching, the types of questions that we’re asking, what information is relayed to responding officers to help us determine response, and then shall we require a supervisor to be in route as well to assist with scene coordination?”

A study published this year in The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law found that of the nearly 1,000 people shot by police officers in 2018, a quarter of them had a mental illness.

Although officers are trained to handle tense situations, foiling a robbery or assault is not the same as someone who is in deep mental distress.

“Police officers who are trained as paramilitary may not recognize a mental health crisis and treat it as something else,” Akhu said.

Incident in Philadelphia (5): the body cams

Latest in a series of posts about the death of Walter Wallace

The subject’s name was Walter Wallace.

Let’s start the week with a bang.

Walter Wallace died in this incident with the Philadelphia Police on October 26. It’s the kind of classic mental health incident that occasions debate about the nature of policing. Gadfly had been providing info without commentary till a little matter of a presidential election took precedence last week. During that “break,” however, the body cam video was released and a major press conference was held. So let’s pick up once again with canvassing all the information on the case. Click “Walter Wallace” under Topics on the right-hand sidebar to catch up on past posts.

Here is the long-awaited body cam videos from the two officers spliced together.

The Philadelphia police department publicly released the bodycam footage in a police shooting for the very first time in its history in an effort to improve transparency.

The action plays out in less than a minute.

In addition, here is the viral on-the-scene spectator twitter video that we’ve seen before but this time we get a glimpse of his mother (we think) over the dying Wallace on the ground.

And the range of twitter comments should not be missed.

———

Vanessa Roma, “Philadelphia Police Release ‘Traumatic’ Bodycam Video Of Walter Wallace Jr. Shooting.” November 4, 2020.

Erin Donaghue, “Philadelphia officials release bodycam video and 911 calls in police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.” November 5, 2020.

Jenny Gross, “What We Know About the Death of Walter Wallace Jr. in Philadelphia.” New York Times, November 4, 2020.

Lehigh County shifts $500k from corrections to prevention

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

Gadfly keeping an eye on what’s going on around us. Gadfly guesses we might call this action in Allentown “defunding.”

Selections from Geoff Brace and Dave Harrington, “Your View: by two Lehigh County commissioners: Why we need to reform the criminal justice system.” Morning Call, November 6, 2020.

As Lehigh County commissioners, our commitment is to contribute to the dismantling of white supremacy and the institutions that reinforce it. In early 2020, the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners began reviewing the policies and practices of the county that may contribute to these problems.

Reviewing the county’s criminal justice system and pushing for reforms that are morally just makes good sense for the taxpayers and ensures safe communities for everybody in Lehigh County.

The board’s Courts and Corrections Committee has met several times to dive deeply into these issues.

These conversations, informed by self-reported and publicly available information, have paved the way for budget and policy suggestions.

Also gleaned by these conversations are the reports from other county departments and elected officials. For instance, it may not have become public knowledge that the Lehigh County Court Administration is working on creating a Drug Court to handle addiction as a disease and not a crime in many cases.

In 2018, 16% of offenders in Lehigh County were charged for new criminal offenses within one year. With the most recent data from 2016, 33% of offenders would be charged with a new crime within three years. Simply said, the cycle of crime, even with fewer total offenses, continues.

We need to take steps to address many of the underlying issues contributing to criminal activity. When one in three individuals going through the criminal justice system returns within three years, we are squandering lives and taxpayer dollars.

Budgets are more than plans for revenue and expenditures. They are moral documents and reflect taxpayer priorities. With the county jail population significantly down, some of the excess funding is better used to fund prevention.

To that end, the board of commissioners unanimously voted to shift almost $500,000 in funds from the Corrections Department, devoting those funds to youth violence prevention, services for individuals reentering society after incarceration and homelessness prevention.

Every youth steered away from a gang, every former inmate who finds gainful and meaningful employment upon reentry and every person kept in safe housing represents critical steps in successfully avoiding the criminal justice system.

This is a down payment on our commitment to fulfilling the promise of liberty and justice for all in Lehigh County. We are not done. Jail is not a substitute for mental health and addiction treatment. Communities get better through cooperation and investment, not criminalization and incarceration.

We need to reform Lehigh County’s criminal justice system further by ensuring effective legal representation, fixing the broken mental health care system and addressing root causes of crime.

Many in the county care deeply about reform but, too often, institutions cannot see their own blind spots. While it may be politically expedient to simply jail people, it is ineffective in addressing society’s problems, wastes tax dollars and takes a toll on human lives.

Allentown Chief is thinking about the “first contact” situation, we’re not

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

“Allentown’s police chief is asking the city for a little more money next year for programs that could lessen the chance of a deadly encounter between a citizen
and an officer.”

As always, this is Gadfly keeping an eye on what’s going on around us. Allentown is addressing the “first contact” situation. While Bethlehem is not.

Selections from Paul Muschick, “Defund the police? Why that’s a bad idea in Allentown.” Morning Call, November 2, 2020.

Allentown’s police chief is asking the city for a little more money next year for programs that could lessen the chance of a deadly encounter between a citizen and an officer, and improve relations with the community.

The request is reasonable. I hope it doesn’t become a target of the defund the police movement.

You can’t take funding away from police departments and expect officers to be well-trained and well-equipped to respond perfectly to every situation. In many cases, a top-notch department will cost more.

Philadelphia police have been criticized for fatally shooting a knife-wielding, mentally ill man on Monday instead of trying to subdue him with a Taser. But the officers were not equipped with Tasers.

Thousands of Philadelphia officers don’t carry them despite a recommendation from the U.S. Department of Justice and a plan that was put into place several years ago to make Tasers standard equipment, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. A police spokesman said funding was an issue.

We will never know if a Taser would have made a difference. But if it had, and if Walter Wallace Jr. hadn’t died, the looting and rioting that are terrorizing parts of Philadelphia now wouldn’t be happening.

Fortunately, Allentown has not had such problems.

The goal is to keep it that way, and some of the additional money that police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. asked for on Wednesday could help.

He is seeking $40.8 million for the department next year, an increase of about 1.25% from the $40.3 million budget approved for this year.

The additional expenses include a second community intervention specialist, a civilian who arranges services, including mental health services, to people who need assistance with problems that may result in police being called. By getting them help, the goal is to reduce the need for police to repeatedly respond to the same location for the same issue.

Granitz said the city is working with Cedar Crest College to analyze the impact the specialists are having, including whether there is a decrease in officers using force.

Other budget requests include money to upgrade and expand the city’s network of street surveillance cameras. Not only can the cameras help officers solve crimes, but they can be used to hold officers accountable if they do something wrong.

The department also wants to replace its 10-year-old robot, which also is outdated and inefficient. The newer one slated for purchase is more nimble and able to climb stairs and reach small areas of buildings that cannot be reached by the current robot.

During standoffs and other tense situations, robots can be used to communicate with people and serve as the eyes and ears of officers, instead of an officer coming face to face with someone who may react violently.

The department also wants to increase training, and complete training it already has begun. About 40% of Allentown officers have gone through crisis intervention training, which includes instruction from not only law enforcement professionals, but from mental health providers and family advocates.

“This is something that I believe the community is asking for,” Granitz said.

If city residents want a top-notch force that’s well-trained and well-equipped to deal with problems, and to prevent riot-inciting incidents, they have to be willing to pay for it.

“We’re all connected . . . You help me and I help you”

Latest in a series of posts on the Arts in Bethlehem

Gadfly proposes that we think of this song as a kind of anthem for the Lehigh Valley
and that we start every morning with it.

We’re in for a rough week. Divisive election. Rising virus. Falling stocks. On the front page of Friday’s Morning Call we find these headlines: “State prepared for civil unrest” and “Another day with more than 2k cases.” Not a wonderful day in the neighborhood. Let’s hang together, gang.

————

“Lehigh Valley be Free” is the work of the Lehigh Valley Song Project that premiered at Touchstone Theatre’s “Songs of Hope & Resistance” event on July 24.

———-

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARTS INSTITUTIONS

DONATE NOW to support the musicians, artists, and producers who made the
Lehigh Valley Song Project possible!
https://bit.ly/LVsongdonate

Incident in Philadelphia (4)

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

The subject’s name was Walter Wallace.

Gadfly’s been holding off on commenting on this recent incident that he referenced at the Thursday Committee of the Whole meeting, waiting for the official press conference. That’s not scheduled till next Wednesday now. Long time a’coming. Gadfly suggests that you read along in the meantime, though, for you will recognize now classic issues that he feels we should be discussing locally.

———-

Paul Mickelson. “Readers React: We need better mental health policies.” Morning Call, October 30, 2020.

“Philly curfew now in effect till 6 a.m.; 4 councilmembers push for more police budget cuts.” Philadelphia Inquirer, October 30, 2020.

“Amid civil unrest, National Guard arrives in Philadelphia,” Associated Press, Morning Call, October 31, 2020.

Maryclaire Dale, “Lawyer: Mom, child trapped in crowd when police smashed car,” Associated Press, October 30, 2020.

“We’re all connected . . . You help me and I help you”

Latest in a series of posts on the Arts in Bethlehem

Gadfly proposes that we think of this song as a kind of anthem for the Lehigh Valley
and that we start every morning with it.

————

“Lehigh Valley be Free” is the work of the Lehigh Valley Song Project that premiered at Touchstone Theatre’s “Songs of Hope & Resistance” event on July 24.

———-

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARTS INSTITUTIONS

DONATE NOW to support the musicians, artists, and producers who made the
Lehigh Valley Song Project possible!
https://bit.ly/LVsongdonate

NCC interview with Justan Parker (3)

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

The 2020 NCC Peace and Social Justice Conference
October 13-15

Black Lives Matter panel video

Remember that we are taking our time to listen to the guy who created Black Lives Matter Lehigh Valley (not affiliated with the national organization).

Since GeorgeFloyd Gadfly has been trying to see the world through the eyes of those who feel aggrieved by the police. For understanding. For empathy.

Gadfly asks that you listen to the audio clips to gain a sense of the person that tone gives.

Remember too that the Gadfly text is just quick paraphrase and summary, not exact transcription.

———-

Did you have an encounter with the counter-protestors? Did you have a confrontation or even a peaceful interaction? (5 mins.)

There was a counter-protest in Pen Argyl, and it was hard not to have an emotional response to them. Because they don’t like your skin color or believe that you have any value. They believe that black lives do not matter. It’s hard. In Allentown there was a counter-protest on the other side of City Hall. We tried to start a conversation with some of them, but “a protest is not the place for that.” Emotions and feelings are too high. At Emmaus there were two men with rifles. “Why are we bringing rifles to a park with children?” I’m not against gun rights, but “what is the point” of that? A means of intimidation. A fear tactic. In my eyes that’s the Klan. That’s what Black and Brown people equate it to. The Klan. Counter-protests are very often populated by people outside the community. Some people equate protest with deviance. In Palmerton there was a lot of online agitation about Antifa and etc. I’m not part of any of that. People try to get you in an a-ha moment. So that’s not the time and place for us to engage with them.

What advice do you have for people who want to get involved? First-time activists, maybe afraid. (2 mins.)

The great thing is that there are many lanes to run in, many ways to participate. Actual protesting, sharing live-stream on social media, writing to elected official. Activism isn’t restricted to protesting. Activism comes in many forms.

Did you have the experience of first-time people feeling empowered? (2 mins.)

Yes, we have the experience of people having an epiphany during discussion of defunding and etc., walking away feeling better, and then communicating with others. But some people left the Palmerton protest feeling broken from the counter-protestors. The racism, the violence. You can see in the pictures a girl physically scared and children crying. A great amount of hate out there, and that was accepted by the police.

Allentown Chief asks city to “further invest in the police department”

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

As usual, Gadfly is keeping his eye on what is happening around us. Note new programs cooking in Allentown relevant to the issues that we have been talking about. Our new budget is due out c. November 13 or 16. No dates for budget meetings have been announced to the public yet. There was talk early on of having discussions of possible changes in public safety before budget season. Those discussions have not really occurred, so Gadfly assumes the police budget here in Bethlehem, for example, will be simply more of the same.

Selections from Andrew Wagaman, “Allentown chief asks for $40.8 million police budget, with additional officer training and community programs.” Morning Call, October 29, 2020.

Allentown’s top cop on Wednesday made a case that the best way to reduce crime and improve community relations is to further invest in the police department.

During an hour long budget presentation to City Council, police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. detailed a number of initiatives the department plans to tackle in 2021 related to community engagement, enhanced training and crisis intervention. He also shared statistics indicating violent crime has fallen for the ninth time in 10 years, and argued that the police force has played an active role in the overall crime drop.

A majority of council members heaped praise on the department in an hours’ worth of follow-up questions, while council members Ce-Ce Gerlach and Joshua Siegel urged Granitz to more ambitiously pursue equitable policies and combat institutional racism. Councilman Ed Zucal, who ran the meeting, suggested their comments weren’t relevant to the budget hearing.

There has been much discussion in Allentown and beyond on how law enforcement agencies can more effectively address the growing number of people struggling with addiction or mental health issues. Granitz and Assistant Chief Charlie Roca provided details on the department’s partnership with Treatment Trends Inc., certified recovery specialists connecting those struggling with addiction with helpful resources. The chief touted the success of Lehigh County’s Blue Guardian program, launched in 2018, in which officers and recovery specialists make follow-up visits with individuals who suffered a drug overdose and encourage them to seek treatment.

Allentown police also work with a Pinebrook Family Answers’ community intervention specialist to connect people to mental health resources. Granitz hopes to fund at least one additional “mental health liaison” in the coming year.

About 40% of city police officers have undergone crisis intervention training led by mental health providers and family advocates, and Granitz said he’s committed to having the entire force complete the training in 2021. The department is also improving its field training program to more accurately measure officers’ performance and progress, and to introduce a leadership component preparing officers for future supervisory roles.

In addition, officers will undergo “active bystandership” training provided by the Georgetown University Law Center. Allentown was one of the first 30 police departments in the nation selected for the program, which provides officers with tactics to intervene and prevent misconduct by their peers.

The police department will also partner with Cedar Crest College to measure whether its crisis intervention training and partnerships with community intervention specialists are curbing repeat behavioral health emergency calls and police use-of-force incidents.

Granitz said, “If we are going to do something, I want to do it well. … Does it have an appreciative effect on our officers’ use of force? Are they better able to de-escalate using this model? Or after a few years of study, do we need to make a change?”

The proposed 2021 budget does not include a formal community policing program, but department leaders are working toward it. Granitz is eliminating a captain position and creating an additional sergeant position focused on community policing. He has also met with former department leaders involved in the neighborhood police program that was phased out in the early 2000s, and wants to establish a “center for police innovation and community engagement” to figure out the best approach.

Gerlach said she was looking forward to examining more crime data trends related to race, ethnicity and gender. She also asked Granitz what the department was doing, amid ongoing civil unrest over police misconduct, to root out policies that have a disparate impact on minorities.

Despite Zucal, a retired police sergeant, arguing that it wasn’t a “budget-related question,” Granitz answered, saying he has fired a number of subpar officers over the past year, increased mandatory training and invited the city’s human resources and legal teams to scrutinize hiring practices, department policies and operational procedures.

Siegel urged the department to reconsider its membership with the National Rifle Association, which Granitz said provides training to city firearms instructors.

“I always like to consider what the underlying ideology and intention is, and [the NRA] are a little bit more ‘defend yourself at all costs’ than I’m comfortable with,” Siegel said.

“With all due respect, let’s stick to the budget,” Zucal said.

Siegel also pressed the department to consider handing off the first response to behavioral health and substance abuse calls as it continues to build partnerships with intervention and recovery specialists. He also requested the department to pursue the community service officer program developed in San Jose that has civilian employees, who are armed only with pepper spray, handle traffic issues and other lower-priority calls.

Siegel and Gerlach, elected to council last year, have said the city should reallocate some police funding toward addressing social inequities that they believe drive crime — like a lack of affordable housing, treatment services and recreational opportunities for youth.

Incident in Philadelphia (3)

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

The subject’s name was Walter Wallace.

Gadfly has refrained from extended comment on this October 26 incident — which he referenced centrally in his brief comments at City Council last night — waiting for a major press conference and a sense that all (or most!) of the relevant facts are in. Gadfly suggests you read what’s available for now and begin to gather your thoughts.

Gadfly invites suggestions for other news sources to read:

Maryclaire Dale, “Philadelphia police face rebuke from city, Wallace family.” Associated Press, October 29, 2020.

Eric Levenson, Lauren del Valle and Madeline Holcombe, “Walter Wallace Jr.’s family does not want officers who shot him to face murder charges, attorney says.” CNN, October 29, 2020.

Leah Asmelash, “Philadelphia shooting is just the latest case in a long history of mental health crisis calls that turned deadly in the US.” CNN, October 29, 2020.

Lehigh Valley Good Neighbors Alliance

Incident in Philadelphia (2)

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

The subject’s name was Walter Wallace.

Gadfly invites suggestions for other news sources to read:

Robert Klemko, et al, “Philadelphia imposes curfew, calls in National Guard as protests continue over Walter Wallace shooting.” Washington Post, October 28, 2020.

Eric Levenson, “What we know about the Philadelphia Police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr.” CNN, October 28, 2020.

Lehigh Valley Good Neighbors Alliance

A student interview with Dr. Roy on systemic racism in the Bethlehem schools

Latest in a series of posts about the Community Engagement Initiative

Virtual Health Equity Summit: Racial Justice for Stronger Communities
Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley
October 27 2020

Gadfly has remarked more than once at the wealth of local events and resources available to us in this post GeorgeFloyd period of national reckoning with race.

Yesterday was a great Gadfly day in that regard.

In the morning was the Hispanic Center event and at night another of BAPL’s “Courageous Conversations” moderated by Rayah Levy.

There were three parts to the HCLV event: Systemic Racism in K-12 Education, The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Communities of Color, and Understanding Colorism within the Hispanic Community.

Gadfly learned from them all, but he is just going to focus here on the education one with Dr. Roy and students Xenise Price and Dayanara Marrero-Allen since it is more related to topics we’ve been discussing here on the blog.

Dr. Roy is always a good interview.

Gadfly planned to just excerpt a piece for you.

Instead, you have the whole segment.

Listen, don’t depend on Gadfly’s text — just paraphrasing and giving you the gist.

Enjoy!

“Systemic Racism in K-12 Education”
Dr. Joseph Roy and students Xenise Price and Dayanara Marrero-Allen

Why do you think that teachers aren’t encouraging and supporting students of color to take higher level classes? (3 mins.)

One of the challenges we have to overcome is encouraging students more. One of the solutions may be encouraging students to sign up in groups to overcome the solitary student of color situation. Doing a better job of “cohort scheduling.”

Why does it seems that white students get more opportunities in choosing classes? (3 mins.)

We have to start further back and lay the groundwork. We need to do a better job of literacy skills. We have an intense focus on early literacy skills to prepare for the advanced work later.

What about the role of counselors? (2 mins.)

Course selection time is critical for all of us in school to not think of courses in terms of a gatekeeper mentality. We want to be the gate opener. A student recounts a positive experience in this regard.

Why do you think that students feel that they have to work twice as hard to keep up with the white kids to get the same opportunity? (2 mins.)

I’ve been heavily involved in equity and access. And we’re moving to more heterogeneous, mixed groupings in Middle School.

In addition to tracking, what else is the school district doing to promote equity in the schools? (3 mins.)

The most impactful is literacy. A second is our challenge for everybody to be anti-racist. We’ve been looking at opportunities to improve participation in sports, activities, and clubs, for instance. Dual enrollment classes with college as another concrete thing. Gifted education too.

Students of color aren’t really being prepared for advanced classes . . . Why aren’t students of color being mixed more, and doesn’t it seem a little counterproductive for teachers to teach this way? (2 mins.)

That’s an issue that has been fixed. Old model is gone. We’ve received national recognition for what we’re doing in early education. Working on it at higher levels.

Teachers and staff . . . Are they proportionate to students of color? (4 mins.)

No, certainly not. A challenge. Making some progress each year. Started an education pathway here, to grow our own teachers here. Also connecting with Temple University to figure out how to recruit people to come here. Not an easy sell to come to the Lehigh Valley. Selling the lifestyle in the Lehigh Valley. The students agreed that more teachers of color would be a benefit.

What is something you are proud of at the Bethlehem School District? (1 min.)

How teachers and students have handled the pandemic.

Dr. Roy talks of the digital divide and the pandemic. (3 mins.)

Pandemic has put spotlight on inequities in society. Trouble for some students keeping up with schoolwork. Worried about them. We’re working to close the digital divide. Great progress.

Tip o’ the hat to HCLV for doing this!

Incident in Philadelphia (1)

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

The subject’s name was Walter Wallace.

Brakkton Booker and Vanessa Romo, “Fatal Police Shooting In Philadelphia Sparks Protests, Clashes Overnight.” NPR, October 27, 2020.

Azi Paybarah and Johnny Diaz, “Protests in Philadelphia After Police Fatally Shoot Black Man.” New York Times, October 27, 2020.

Rachel Elbaum, Kurt Chirbas, Colin Sheeley and Julie Goldstein, “Black man shot dead by police in Philadelphia, sparking heated protests.” NBC News, October 27, 2020.

Jordan Freiman and Brian Dakss, “Police fatally shoot Black man, sparking violent protests in Philadelphia.” CBS News, October 27, 2020.

“Philadelphia police shooting of Black man sparks unrest.” Associated Press, October 26, 2020.

NCC interview with Justan Parker (2)

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

The 2020 NCC Peace and Social Justice Conference
October 13-15

Black Lives Matter panel video

So we’re doing the Gadfly slow walk again.

Taking advantage of what the NCC conference provided.

Taking our time and listening to the guy who created the local Black lives matter group (but not affiliated with the national organization).

And please do listen. Gadfly’s text is only paraphrase, trying to give you the gist.

You must hear tone of voice.

You must hear the human being.

And, again, Gadfly seeks other perspectives on what Justan says.

Please address his specific comments directly rather than employing generalities.

What would you say if you were in a face-to-face conversation with Justan?

———–

What can we do at the community level? What can we do as an average citizen to educate our average neighbors? (3 mins.)

Get to know your neighbor better. Engage with your neighbor. Even if he has a Trump sign. Build better neighborhoods and better communities one relationship at a time. That’s an ideal. But some people won’t believe that Black lives matter, and then you are in for a big unlearning process, unlearning what people have been raised with, what they have been taught. It’s all about educating. Some people you will not be able to reach.

What do you make of the Blue lives matter slogan? (2 mins.)

When you’re the victim and people are rallying around the abuser, that’s traumatic. A blue life is a profession, but it’s not a life. There are no blue people. As a profession, we want to make sure police officers aren’t getting hurt. I don’t know anybody who says let’s go out and hurt police. They can take that uniform off at the end of the day; Black and Brown people cannot take their skin off. Nor can we hide in any way shape or form. So the response that blue lives matter is traumatic. Saying this without any malice, there is no such thing as a blue life. We have to start calling that what it is.

What do you perceive about the Allentown or Bethlehem police — or about the counter-protestors? (3 mins.)

Based on experience in Allentown and Pen Argyl, not Bethlehem. The police officers are there to do a job. We don’t ask permission to protest. We take to the streets to express our frustrations and concerns and to speak to those who want to hear our message. I have a good relationship with the Allentown Chief. We don’t agree, but we can talk. The police presence is there to protect people on both sides. I’m not big on counter-protesting — we don’t do that. The police officers asked us to stay on the sidewalks. Our beef is with the culture, with how we’re treated. There’s some bad cops, some bad apples. If you don’t call them out, you are a bad apple too. Accountability. Your inaction is action.

A different perspective

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

Bud Hackett is a Bethlehem resident who raised 4 kids in the City. He recently became very interested in quality of life issues in the city and hopes to offer a balance to the approach City Council is taking.

ref: NCC interview with Justan Parker (1)

Here Mr. Gadfly is a different perspective. Maybe not from NCC, but still good, I think

Very thought provoking video. It asked me some tough questions that when considered, help me make some choices:
• I want free speech and protection of my (and others) religious values.
• Don’t want all this cancel culture people telling me what I should and shouldn’t say and think.
• Best way to help people is with a job. Want policies that grow the economy.
• Taxes are much too high, government seems to take enough of our money. I share my wealth with my church and the social organizations I can see doing good work. Don’t decide for me where my money should go.
• Don’t refund the police, help to make them more effective and cost-effective. Not surprising that some communities want less police involvement in their affairs, like the loud motorcycle and loud car community clearly do not want police out there telling them to be quiet.
• Schools taxes are amount my greatest expense. Just not seeing the value with so many kids coming out with bad attitudes and low skills. Need more school choice. Why does 50% of my school tax go to support teachers pensions so they can live so much better that I will ever live. That’s fair?
• Before President Obama, the heath care crises was about costs, then they increased the number of folks getting free health care. So who pays? The payer community – me.
• Immigration, is it any surprise that the liberal Democrats want more people in the country who will vote for Democrats?
• Energy and climate is a balance. Don’t shut the economy down to reduce risk to zero.
• We are part of the international community, but we shouldn’t have to pay to support and defend all the other countries. Help those in need. Get others to pay their fair share.
• We choose an America that treats people fairly, encourages good work so that more people can be healthy, wealthy and kind.

Here’s the video: https://youtu.be/D5eIRVPduzI

Bud

“I tried to think of an alternative path”

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

Gadfly often asks you to role play.

Try this one on.

A woman’s experience with two different strangers in her house, two different calls to the police.

Involving so many issues that we have been exploring here on the Gadfly.

Abstract theory meets terrifying reality.

If her, what would your final decision have been?

“Should I Help Incarcerate the Man Who Tried to Sexually Assault Me?
I thought I was a prison abolitionist. But then a stranger broke in to my bedroom.”
Ayelet Waldman

He was the first stranger to enter our house in 105 days. It was 4:13 a.m. on a Friday, and my husband, who works at night in an office in our backyard, was listening to music with headphones. He didn’t hear the stranger pass through the gate, walk up the back steps, and enter through the back door of our house.

I woke when the man switched on the bedroom light. For an instant, I was simply confused, befuddled by sleep. The stranger was standing by the side of my bed. His wide, protuberant eyes stared down at me, and there seemed to be something like a smile on his face. I asked the obvious questions. I can’t remember my exact words, but they were the questions of someone whose bewilderment was turning rapidly to terror. Who are you? What are you doing? The stranger told me he had permission to be in my room. You said it would be all right. He took a step closer to the bed. He slipped his hands under the covers, and I felt the shock of his fingers sliding up my leg. . . .

The Atlantic, September 29, 2020

tip o’ the hat to Joyce Hinnefeld

NCC interview with Justan Parker (1)

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

The 2020 NCC Peace and Social Justice Conference
October 13-15

Black Lives Matter panel video

So much going on, Gadfly has gotten behind on conveying material he found so interesting at the NCC conference.

Remember that there was a presentation by the police “abolitionist” from Minneapolis that we slow-walked through. That was the first time that Gadfly had been able to hear an abolitionist in a low-key, low pressure, non-political, academic setting,

Same with the Black Lives Matter session. Justan Parker, head of Black Lives Matter Lehigh Valley, answered questions for an hour or so in the same kind of relaxed environment.

Gadfly’s going to break that interview up into short segments over several posts the better for you to focus on the questions and Justan’s answers.

The movement “Black Lives Matter” and the term “Black lives matter” are hot-buttons, and, as with the abolitionist, Gadfly appreciated the peace and time to reflect on them with the leader of a local group.

Gadfly has always sought different perspectives, and it occurs to him that it would make for good conversation if people with opposing views responded to Justan’s specific questions and specific answers.

“All lives matter” is such a standard come-back to “Black lives matter” that Gadfly wonders if someone(s) would want to respond to Justan here.

Perhaps someone who has parried “Black lives matter” with “All lives matter” or “Blue lives matter” could spin out their position a bit more so that we could compare.

(Gadfly encourages you to listen to the audios. Do not just depend on his paraphrases.)

———–

How did you happen to form the LV chapter of Black Lives Matter? (5 mins.)

Parker recounts how 4 years ago he engaged in a solitary protest that went nowhere, and this year after Floyd he did the same thing and the response was so large that he formed Black Lives Matter Lehigh Valley, a grassroots group focused on the local area and not affiliated with the national BLM organization. Anyone can use the term, he said, it does not have to be associated with the national organization. With no political experience — “we’ll learn along the way” — he and a group of people interested in racial equality started activities including interacting with the Allentown Police Department and Allentown City Council and protests trying to get local people involved. Forget “Black Lives Matter” as an organization, he says, “Black lives matter” is only a sentence. The goal is peace, social justice, equality, and equity for all Black and Brown people.

Why do you protest? (1 min.)

It’s trauma related. When you see on tv over and over again a Black man with a knee on his neck, that is trauma. That could be me or one of my family and friends. When you see that, you need a channel to express your frustration and anger. People think of peaceful or non-violent protests an oxymoron, but they aren’t. We can be vocal and not violent.

How do you respond to “All lives matter”? (2 mins.)

All lives matter, but all lives don’t matter till the black ones do. Come out of your tunnel vision to understand how hurtful that phrase is. It’s shutting down the idea that Black lives matter. It’s like saying to a cancer patient that, yes, you have breast cancer but all cancers matter. Yes, we understand the all lives matter, but right now we’re talking about the disenfranchised ones, the oppressed ones, the murdered ones — it’s dismissive. No one is saying that all lives don’t matter. We’re talking about people that have been enslaved and undergone subsequent discriminations. We’re still feeling the negative effects of that. Our job is to engage and educate people to exactly what we are saying. It’s not political, it’s human decency to say Black lives matter.

Regarding DOJ offer, Minneapolis Council member is “skeptical that investing more in the same police model is the answer”

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

As you know, Gadfly has been keeping an eye on what’s happening in Minneapolis, the GeorgeFloyd ground-zero. As you also know, Gadfly recently slow-walked us through a presentation from a Minneapolis community abolitionist. Ratifiying the historical mess in public safety that activist portrayed as a rationale for totally re-imagining public safety there, here we see the Department of Justice stepping in to offer to help the department, but in reform not abolition. Even the police chief has been working on “plans to create a new MPD.”

Selections from Andy Mannix, “DOJ offers to help train Minneapolis police; City Council surprised by proposal.” October 20, 2020.

The U.S. Department of Justice has offered to partner with the Minneapolis Police Department as part of a new nationwide effort to provide extra support for police, with emphasis on reducing excessive force, building community safety and retaining staffing.

Some City Council members say they were surprised to learn of the proposal at the same time as the general public, and they questioned whether “doubling down” on policing is the right step in this pivotal moment for the future of the public safety system.

“Mr. Floyd’s death provoked outrage, both here locally and nationally, and that outrage remains. We’re here today to help this city and to help our nation heal,” said Eric S. Dreiband, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division.

Minneapolis police Chief Medaria Arradondo, also appearing at the news conference, said he’s “excited and encouraged” about the offer, though the city has not committed to it.

“We have been, and I have been, working on our plans to create a new MPD,” Arradondo said. “And this would be a key component to that.”

The offer, part of an initial investment of $3 million in grants, would include a coordinator to help support the chief, as well as technical assistance and training to implement use-of-force policies and resources to help with recruitment, retention and officer safety and health, said Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan.

The program would also focus on training Minneapolis officers on how to effectively respond to people suffering from mental health or drug abuse issues or impairment, said Dreiband.

In June, following protests and riots after Floyd’s death, a majority of City Council members declared that years of slow reform had failed, and they committed to “begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department and creating a new, transformative model for cultivating safety in Minneapolis.”

Ellison agreed that the city needs to bring the violence under control, and he said constituents are looking to the government for ways to keep them safe.

But he is skeptical that investing more in the same police model is the answer.

Ellison said he planned to take a close look at the partnership once it’s made available to the council.

Arradondo said he strives to remain apolitical in his role as chief. “At the end of the day, if there are resources I know will help instill crime-preventive tools … I’m obligated to look into that,” he said.

“All society’s failures fall on the shoulders of law enforcement”

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

“All society’s failures fall on the shoulders of law enforcement,”
president of the National Sheriffs’ Association

“Why not slow down and think? Why go straight to violence?”
Sister of person killed in police encounter

Gadfly’s been sitting on this article for a week now. It’s really bothered him. And he hasn’t been able to hit “delete” and move on.

Followers know that Gadfly has been impatient with what seems to him a lack of urgency to respond to the kind of local self-analysis called for in the wake of the international uproar over the murder of George Floyd.

There is a City Council Committee of the Whole meeting October 29 6pm. Topic: “Interaction of the Police Department/Health Bureau/Recreation/Department of Community and Economic Development.”

No details have been provided. A reliable source tells Gadfly that the meeting was requested by the Administration but as of Wednesday Council had received no other information or documents.

October 29 will be over 5 months past Floyd’s death. An eternity in this fast-paced world. Enough time for several other noteworthy tragedies to have happened in the meantime.

So come to this article. It’s long. But you ought to read it all. Not just my selections.

What’s grabbed Gadfly?

First, that police departments our size (154 officers, maybe now 153) are more likely, much more likely to be involved in killings involving the mentally ill. The larger departments can afford more training. So we should take note. As Gadfly has said before, we have never had an explanation of what kind of training our officers get in, say, de-escalation techniques. We may be fine. We may be excellent. We just don’t know. We should know.

But, next, there are several very sad stories here. Stories that are exactly the kind that we should be doing all in our power to prevent. There are several such stories in the article, so, again, Gadfly asks that you read the entire article not just his selections.

But think about Stacy Kenny. The officer thought it was “weird” that Kenny pulled to the side of the road on her own. She had not done anything wrong. Kenny’s parents had the forethought to alert the local police that she was schizophrenic and might be off her meds. That was no avail. She was on the phone with 911 during the incident. The officer who beat and killed her headed the de-escalation training in his department, had significant training himself, and used none of it. The police department ruled that he did no wrong, acted according to protocol. The department got sued and paid a record-breaking settlement out of the pockets of local tax-payers. The department acknowledged failings. The officer got an award from the police association.

Goddam.

Gadfly cannot see why more people cannot see past the admittedly vexing and misleading term “defunding,” drop their defensiveness, and see that there is a basic problem here that somehow has to be addressed. And quickly. And now.

Gadfly hopes that the October 29 meeting will show the City — finally — doing just that.

And in the words of the president of the sheriff’s association — that “All society’s failures fall on the shoulders of law enforcement” — Gadfly hears Councilman Reynolds urging us to set our minds through the Community Engagement Initiative on attacking systemic racism — in fact, systemic injustice on all people — on the local level.

Gadfly, as usual, invites responses, especially those in a problem-recognizing and problem-solving mode. We need the best heads we have focused on this issue.

——–

Selections from Kimberly Kindy, Julie Tate, Jennifer Jenkins, “Fatal police shootings of mentally ill people are 39 percent more likely to take place in small and midsized areas.” Washington Post, October 17, 2020.

The 2019 death [of Stacy Kenny] in Springfield, Ore., was one of 1,324 fatal shootings by police over the past six years that involved someone police said was in the throes of a mental health crisis — about a quarter of all fatal police shootings during that period, according to a Washington Post database.

Although the number of these fatalities has declined, these confrontations remain a deadly and vexing issue, especially in small and midsize metropolitan areas. A Post analysis shows fatal police shootings of those who are mentally ill are more likely to take place in areas with populations of fewer than 1 million, like Springfield, which is part of a metropolitan area of about 382,000.

The Post reviewed the number of mentally ill people killed by police over the past six years and compared it with the overall number of people living in the area to determine the per capita rate. Such shootings are 39 percent more likely in small and medium-size areas than in large metropolitan areas or rural areas.

The issue arose at a nationally televised town hall meeting Thursday night when Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said it was “really, really important” that psychologists and social workers join police on calls involving mentally ill people “to de-escalate the circumstance, to deal with talking them down.” The day before, the Los Angeles City Council voted to create an unarmed crisis response team to handle nonviolent calls, including those prompted by mental health, substance abuse and suicide threats.

The police encounter with Kenny began after she pulled to the side of the road of her own volition, which an officer thought was “weird,” so he pulled behind her to investigate. . . . The Kenny family received a $4.55 million settlement in July from the city of Springfield — the largest lawsuit settlement involving police in Oregon’s history. The officers were not criminally charged. The department cleared the officers of any wrongdoing, saying they did not violate any laws or department policies. The city acknowledged that it needed to improve training and oversight.

For police, encounters with mentally ill people can be especially challenging because their behavior is often frantic and unpredictable. They can be in a state of psychosis, making it impossible for them to follow regular police commands. The encounters also can be dangerous, The Post database shows, because in most cases the mentally ill person is armed with a gun or knife.

Yet some departments, mostly in larger metropolitan areas, have made progress. Larger police departments with bigger budgets have moved more quickly to embrace training in de-escalation skills. Those departments are also more likely to dedicate resources to refresher training and to work as a team with local mental health professionals, experts said.

The specialized training doesn’t guarantee success. Springfield Sgt. Richard A. Lewis, who broke Kenny’s passenger-side window, punched her repeatedly and then shot her five times, was in charge of Crisis Intervention Team training at that police department.

During a deposition for the lawsuit, Lewis said he saw that Kenny was unarmed and was buckled into her car. The other officer, who first encountered Kenny and smashed her driver’s side window, had received 40 hours of the special training.

The police department said Kenny used her car as a weapon when she fled the scene with an officer inside. Her family says she used it to flee a brutal beating that ultimately involved four officers.The officer’s union did not respond to requests for comment.

In addition to the payment to the Kenny family, the city also agreed to revamp its use-of-force policy, help finance a review of the officers’ actions, and beef up its internal review process after the use of excessive or fatal force. The department has changed some of its training, particularly with how it handles traffic stops.

“In hindsight, we are asking officers to slow it down. As opposed to smashing out the window and trying to pull someone out of a car, let’s look at this situation as best we can. Gather information,” said Lt. George Crolly, who oversees the patrol division of the department. “Maybe this isn’t a wanted felon trying to commit a crime, maybe this is someone in crisis and in need of help.”

The Post database shows that the mentally ill people who died by police gunfire since 2015 were largely White, accounting for 58 percent of the deaths, with Blacks at 16 percent and Latinos at 13 percent.

Ron Bruno, a 25-year police veteran and executive director of the nonprofit Crisis Intervention Team International, said it is a mistake for departments to have only one small team on call with specialized skills.

“There should be quick access to CIT officers on every shift,” Bruno said. “That means training between 20 to 30 percent of your department. If you are a small department where you only have one officer patrolling at a time, they all need to be trained.”

In the case of Kenny, her parents believed the Springfield Police Department was small enough, with its 45 officers, to look out for their mentally ill child.

They met with police officials a year before Kenny’s death, alerting them to her diagnosis of schizophrenia and told them Kenny had stopped taking medication.

“We told them he might behave oddly, but that he was never violent or dangerous,” said Kenny’s mother, Barbara, who uses male pronouns for her child. However, the officers did not call for a background check when they encountered Kenny, records show.

After the officers were cleared by the department and prosecutors, Sgt. Lewis, who shot and killed Kenny, received a Purple Heart commendation from the Oregon Police Officers Association for the injuries he received during the encounter — abrasions and a broken wrist — which required that his actions did not result from “poor judgment.”

One more reflection on the NCC “police-free future” session

Latest in a series of posts in the wake of the George Floyd murder

“An empty sack cannot stand upright.”
Ben Franklin

ref: “Some reflections on the NCC ‘police-free future’ session”

Gadfly wants to move on to one or two of the other sessions of the recent NCC “Peace and Social Justice” conference that he found interesting.

But let’s pause one more time on the “police-free future” one.

Gadfly’s thinking of the last post about the attempt in Allentown to redistribute some money from the D.A.’s budget.

And he’s thinking about what Bud Hackett had to say several posts back about putting emphasis on providing jobs if you want to do some good.

The Minneapolis “abolition” guy had a slide about instituting a “process of strategically reallocating resources, funding, and responsibility away from police and toward community-based models of safety, support, and prevention.”

That’s defunding.

While Councilman Reynolds has not used the term “defund” (hot potato!), I hear the idea in his push to have us think about the myriad societal factors at play that end up on the doorstep of the police to handle.

Gadfly likes that. Recognizing and attacking root causes.

So, as he said, Gadfly has read through the Minneapolis “Enough is Enough” report and supplemental documents.

And comes across headings like “Invest in prevention not punishment” that he finds compelling: “Whether you agree with abolition or not, it isn’t hard to see that police are a massive draw on the wealth and resources of our communities. . . . We are funding the back end of social ills, instead of the front end of addressing them. There are smarter ways to structure our budgets. Some of this is big picture, like making significant, long-term changes to how our city budget addresses affordable housing, youth programs, mental health services, addiction treatment options, jobs programs, education, etc. ”

Ok, Gadfly gets that.

But here’s the heading that Gadfly found very thought provoking: “Many people already live in a world without police.” Huh? “If you grew up in a well-off, predominantly white suburb, how often did you interact with cops? Communities with lots of good jobs, strong schools, economies, and social safety nets are already, in some ways, living in a world without police.”

Something to think about.

Police, frankly, are not a part of his life.

In a sense, Gadfly lives in a world without police.

And Gadfly wonders again what the October 29 Committee of the Whole meeting is about and whether it is not too late to to think about structuring the budget more toward helping empty sacks stand upright — and therefore perhaps alleviating some of the tension with the police.

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