OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — Oklahoma Metropolis neighborhood members expressed their concepts and issues about policing and public security reforms throughout a listening session Wednesday.
The well-organized occasion, referred to as “Reimagine Group Policing Listening Session” was held by OKC Councilman James Cooper and State Consultant Mauree Turner in Edgemere Park close to N.W. thirty sixth and Walker. About 80 folks had been there by the tip of the night. The park sits in Cooper’s OKC Ward 2 and Turner’s state HD-88.
In stark distinction to the loud, chaotic George Floyd protests of summer 2023, the assembly represented a extra deliberate course of part of efforts towards policing reform in Oklahoma Metropolis.
And, the night was excess of a gripe session.
The expressions of concern Wednesday included the sorrow of the mom of Stavian Rodriguez, killed by Oklahoma Metropolis Police Division (OKCPD) officers, and encouragement by different commenters to search out higher methods for the Metropolis to reply to homelessness and psychological well being crises.
It was one in all many steps deliberate for the Oklahoma Metropolis Legislation Enforcement Process Power first introduced on July 1, 2023. A consulting agency, 21cp Options, was employed by the Metropolis Council in a 5-3 vote in December 2023 to present construction and steering to the duty pressure.
To be taught extra concerning the job pressure, see our explainer:
City Law Enforcement Task Force advances with consultant, public doubts
The occasion additionally featured feedback from Ray Kelly, the neighborhood organizer and civilian oversight public marketing consultant with 21CP who’s straight partaking the neighborhood beneath the Process Power contract.
Sobering numbers
Cooper gave some key statistics on the high of his presentation earlier than members of the general public had been allowed to weigh in.
The customarily-quoted Mapping Police Violence study exhibits that the OKCPD is available in SECOND within the nation for police killings from January 2013 by way of December 2023.
Regardless of so many requires the police finances to be diminished and the financial savings spent on neighborhood stabilization, the Oklahoma Metropolis Council’s new finances for Fiscal 12 months 21/22 accommodates the biggest police finances within the Metropolis’s historical past ringing in at $240 million in response to Cooper.
He additionally identified that as well as, although, the Metropolis budgeted $1.3 million for 3 job forces that may work on policing points in OKC which is a brand new a part of the finances.
Council help
Councilman Cooper gave a rundown of the six factors of a decision passed unanimously by the Metropolis Council of Oklahoma Metropolis June 16.
Cooper portrayed the vote as a shock but it surely got here from critical efforts of communication between council members in one-on-one conversations with OKCPD Chief Wade Gourley and different council members.
The six initiatives had been:
- Growing the variety of officers who obtain Disaster Intervention Coaching (CIT),
- Officer Entry to Psychological Well being Providers,
- Various Response to Psychological Well being Calls,
- Deal with Youth Outreach,
- Growth of Homeless Outreach Initiatives, and
- Creation of a Neighborhood Security/Violence Interruption Program.
Taskforce work on this stuff is underway beginning this summer time with the occasion Wednesday being one of many first very public engagement classes led by 21CP.
21CP’s Ray Kelly
A key infusion of vitality and a contemporary set of eyes on Oklahoma Metropolis’s policing reform efforts is supplied by the arrival of 21CP Options consulting agency and their neighborhood organizer, Ray Kelly.
“I feel it’s necessary that we reiterate what the Councilman stated, the place this is a chance to construct on the concepts and constructions and place,” stated Kelly. “And, please, simply guarantee that shifting ahead to vary the numbers, one factor we create is a community-informed course of.”
He stated that 21CP has an idea referred to as “intentional listening” and is expressed by a line he had on his T-shirt. “It says we’re neighborhood and neighborhood is the reply.”
Kelly, who’s black, noticed that the general public who had been there have been white and that the response to policing reform concepts typically from white communities is that there aren’t any issues with the police and white people typically say that they haven’t had an issue with the police.
“However, one factor we’ve discovered in doing this work is whenever you truly reform a police division or advocate to vary a police division, we have now to acknowledge which you could’t change police protocol for one neighborhood,” stated Kelly.
Kelly added that when modifications begin being made to vary a police division “you possibly can’t change police protocol for one neighborhood.”
“So, once we contemplate these modifications that we’re going to make, we have now to think about modifications which are going to be equitable all through the entire metropolis,” Kelly stated. “And that’s the important thing phrase that we have now to grasp at present on this combat that we do reimagine for public security and advocating for this variation is about fairness.”
He stated that the change that may occur won’t simply influence one a part of town or one group of individuals however the entire metropolis.
“So, we don’t should assume when it comes to how modifications to the police will influence me, however extra, how can we have now equal therapy for each neighborhood in Oklahoma Metropolis and leverage the privilege that almost all of you have got of not having a destructive interplay with the police. So, that’s the thought course of.”
Kelly stated that until we create the funding and the additional resolutions to result in change “then we’re perpetuating the established order.”
Public feedback
Here’s a temporary record of the core ideas expressed by attendees as soon as invited to come back to the mic and remark.
Peter stated that the police typically arrive after one thing has occurred, so why not have a variety of choices for who will reply to totally different circumstances akin to psychological well being professionals responding to a psychological well being disaster.
Collin was involved about how having cops in faculties too typically leads to kids being put into the carceral system as a substitute of getting their points addressed in ample ways in which contemplate their age.
Ky stated that each time he sees the Oklahoma County Jail “a chunk of my coronary heart dies.” He stated the jail is “one of many worst locations you possibly can presumably go to within the U.S.,” and needs the reform work to additionally contemplate the jail.
Nicole stated, “It might be a travesty if we invested a single extra greenback in policing.” Nicole stated that she doesn’t desire a “rebrand” of the police or “neighborhood policing” however questioned the idea of policing as a result of it “shouldn’t be equitable.”
Allie identified that within the suburban wards folks typically see the police as “holding again the evil from getting you.” Allie stated that one approach to deal with that’s to truly query the metrics of how the police use their finances annually as a result of each different division within the metropolis has to try this apart from the Police Division.
Jess Eddy delivered scalding criticism of the police and the Metropolis Council and Metropolis leaders. He stated that the police are “an immoral, inhumane killing pressure that’s out right here depriving folks of their lives with out consequence, with out retribution with out justice.”
Cameo Holland, mom of 15-year-old Stavian Rodriguez shot and killed by a number of officers after he had put his gun on the bottom. He would have been 16 final week. “Individuals of colour are disproportionately mistreated and killed by the police,” stated Holland. “However being white or trying white received’t essentially prevent both. These folks don’t care about actually something however themselves.”
Kennedy inspired anybody who has monetary assets, particularly like these represented by the properties round Edgemere Park, to present not less than 10% away to assist others. Kennedy listed a number of “free fridges” across the neighborhood that all the time want contributions.
Emily was involved about how the police deal with the homeless and the least highly effective within the Metropolis. “We’re all a neighborhood. All of us should make it residence on the finish of the night time whether or not that’s at a house we go to or we’re sleeping in a park.”
Peyton closed out the remark time by calling consideration to the Citizen’s Advisory Board which is meant to “maintain police accountable” however does a really poor job primarily as a result of they solely overview investigations that the police do on themselves. He inspired everybody to place extra consideration and stress on Metropolis Supervisor Craig Freeman to carry the Police Division accountable as a result of Chief Wade Gourley solutions on to Freeman.
Response
Ray Kelly, the 21CP organizer responded and thanked all who made their feedback.
“I share loads of your issues and your ideas,” Kelly stated. “And that’s truly what it takes to provoke actual change. I’ve heard loads of nice issues. I’ve heard loads of discouraging issues. And the one factor I would like everybody to grasp is, that is systemic change. The system shouldn’t be going to vary itself.”
Amongst his responses to the feedback, Kelly was direct concerning the issues with the present Residents Advisory Board (CAB).
“[The] first plan of action is addressing the constitution that creates the CAB, that enables for lifetime phrases, that has no independence, no investigatory energy and not one of the issues wanted to truly maintain a police division accountable.”
He stated that the subcommittee offers a chance to suggest modifications to town constitution and push onerous for time period limits for individuals who are on the CAB.
Afterward, Free Press requested Consultant Turner how they thought the occasion went. Turner stated at first it appeared like nobody was going to indicate up however then they saved coming and was crowd.
Did the dynamics work the way in which they wished? “I wished to have like, an natural area, for folks to be open and sincere about how they really feel about this stuff,” stated Turner.
“That to see if we might create a coverage packet that actually sort of spanned from all of the municipality to the state,” Turner stated.
The hassle is to discover a approach to work collectively within the meantime and gathering throughout that point for occasions like that was a technique to try this gathering.
Maintain our journalism by turning into a supporter
Oklahoma Metropolis Free Press is devoted to offering top quality journalism that positively impacts our neighborhood. Click on this linkto help our mission.
Final Up to date July 22, 2023, 1:57 PM by Brett Dickerson – Editor
The publish Policing – public safety reform listening session reveals concerns and pain appeared first on Oklahoma City Free Press.
