Safety forums to address police tactics

EAST ORANGE, NJ — In the wake of the recent police-involved shootings in Baton Rouge, La., and Falcon Heights, Minn., and the killing of five Dallas police officers during a march organized to protest the those incidents, East Orange City Council Chairman and 3rd Ward Councilman Ted Green and 5th Ward Councilwoman Alicia Holman have scheduled two forums — one for members of the East Orange Police Department and law enforcement and another specifically for the public — to discuss policing policy and tactics.

Holman is the chairwoman of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee and the official liaison between the city’s governing body and the East Orange Police and Fire departments. She has been in office during the time East Orange earned national acclaim for achieving record reductions in crime and criminal activity during former Mayor Robert Bowser’s administration and the tenure of former police Director Jose Cordero.

Holman has been a staunch advocate of community policing throughout her career.

“We’re holding two forums in reference to recent events that are going on in our country,” said Holman on Tuesday, July 12. “The first one is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, July 19, at 6:30 p.m. inside the Council Chamber inside City Hall. That forum is only for members of the Police Department and law enforcement, so it will not be open to the general public.”

Holman said the second forum is an educational event specifically designed to teach the public how to interact with law enforcement professionals.

“We don’t have a specific date set yet for the public forum, but it’s going to be sometime around the city’s annual National Night Out celebration,” said Holman. “All the way around, it’s a travesty that these kinds of tragic and deadly situations are happening between police officers and the public they are supposed to protect and serve. Clearly, it’s not happening in East Orange. But we want to bring together the community and let them know the reasons why it’s not happening in East Orange. We want to let people know the do’s and don’t’s of when you get stopped.”

Green said it’s important to know how to behave when confronted by any kind of law enforcement, especially young black and Latino males residing in East Orange and other urban communities, in order to avoid becoming a statistic.

“We have to do better, as black men and women, and demand the end to the murderous and disrespectful behavior by law enforcement,” said Green on Tuesday, July 12. “This cannot go on. We need to take a stand. I pray for the families of Mr. Alton Sterling and Mr. Philando Castile.”

Green also said he prays “for any and all families affected by any kind of police brutality.” But he said prayer alone is not enough, so the City Council is acknowledging how well the East Orange Police Department is doing.

“There’s no reason why a routine traffic stop by police has to end in death, usually the death of the African-American or Latino suspect that gets pulled over,” said Green. “This country should be ashamed of the injustice being allowed to occur within its borders. What is humane about unprovoked murder? Black men are thought to be thugs and always under suspicion, just for being black.”

East Orange Mayor Lester Taylor issued a statement Monday, July 11, about the recent national incidents involving police and minority suspects and the incident in Dallas. Holman and Green said they both want the mayor to be involved in the upcoming forums.

“The tragic incidents of last week weigh heavily on my heart and my mind,” said Taylor in the statement. “Captured on video, shared on social media, replayed endlessly on our televisions and splashed across the front pages of our newspapers, the disturbing images from Baton Rouge, La., Falcon Heights, Minn., and Dallas have forced Americans to confront a raw set of emotions about racism, injustice and law enforcement.

“I’ve had to revisit my own set of emotions and the harsh reality that I am living and raising my three children in a world where we may be judged by the color of our skin and not by the content of our character.”

Taylor said: “The recent avoidable acts of violence against Alton Sterling and Philando Castile were reactions borne by bias.” He went on to state: “Statistics show that unarmed black men account for about 40 percent of the people fatally shot by police.”

And Taylor said those numbers are unacceptable.

“When adjusted by population, unarmed black men were seven times as likely as unarmed white men to die from police gunfire,” said Taylor. “New training techniques, more accountability through reformed laws and better police hiring practices are just some of the solutions that can help fix a system that has been broken for far too long. In East Orange, we are blessed to live in a community where our police officers stand apart from other urban communities for equally reflecting the people they serve.

“The brave men and women of the East Orange Police Department have worked tirelessly to drive down crime, enhance community police relations, and increase youth outreach. The result is a city that is safer than it has been in 50 years. As our own police – and law enforcement everywhere – continue to cope with the senseless attack against their fellow officers, I urge everyone to continue to show their support and respect for those who selflessly risk their lives daily to protect us from harm.”