Better police relations requires living by example, more mutual trust, doing your part

The formula for fixing strained relations between police and minority communities requires a tapestry woven from having more kitchen table conversations, practicing respect between officers and young black men and turning citizen complaints into solutions.

That was the take-away from a two-hour forum Thursday night at Second Nazareth Baptist Church in Columbia’s Celia Saxon community.

“Let’s put together some table chats,” city Councilman Ed McDowell told an audience of about 60 people in the church sanctuary. “We need to have these conversations when there are no cameras and reporters here.”

But more churches need to become active in providing places for young people to go and forging safe places for African-Americans and law enforcement officers to gain mutual trust, said Pamela Dinkins, whose 17-year-old son, Eric Washington, was killed 18 months ago in what she said was a gang-related shooting.

With police chief Skip Holbrook sitting two chairs from her, Dinkins told the audience how dedicated Columbia officers were in finding two 19-year-olds who are charged in Washington’s death.

“They never let me down,” she said, explaining she had never met Holbrook before March 2015. “I have total trust in them. People need to lay off them.”

Dinkins repeated a refrain that Holbrook uses often, “If you know something, call them.”

The chief said a recent shooting of an 11-year-old has him frustrated by the trickle of information police are getting from the community. Another young man who was shot in the leg refused to talk to investigators altogether, he said.

Though aggravated assaults are down 16 percent and the homicide rate is holding steady compared with a year ago, other crimes have turned this into “a tough summer,” Holbrook said.

He called for escalating penalties for offenders whose criminal histories show a pattern of using firearms. Of 13 homicides in Columbia last year, 81 percent of the shooters had rap sheets, Holbrook said. Of the victims, 46 percent had criminal records.

The Columbia Police Department is improving its diversity in hiring, is upgrading standards and training and is bringing more transparency to police conduct with a citizen review panel and publication of data about complaints against officers as well as penalties imposed on those who fail standards, the chief said.

“Where we’ve seen so much unrest and divisiveness nationally, we have not seen that here,” Holbrook said.

However, the department needs to do a better job of recruiting native Columbians, who know the city best, to become officers, he said.

Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine called on parents and others to be sure that children and teenagers get involved with churches and other organizations that provide escapes from delinquency and crime.

“The strength we have in a community is us,” Devine said. “We all can do something. It’s everybody’s responsibility.” She is advising residents to “take ownership of what I’m going to do.”

Parents also should work harder to live the characteristics they aspire for their children, Devine said. “We need to disagree with people amicably.”

Mayor Steve Benjamin added that “too many kids are raising themselves.” But police cannot carry the full burden of connecting to city residents. “The cops can’t do it all,” Benjamin. “We have to step up and play a role.”

The capital city has to find a “creative” solution to getting guns off the streets, the mayor said. No one suggested any specific new programs during the forum.

As the session wrapped up, Second Nazareth pastor, the Rev. Johnny Ray Noble, underscored the need for action.

“I want us to leave here empowered to act,” Noble said. “Let’s get into implementation.”