By JAIME DELAGE | jdelage@pioneerpress.com
February 15, 2016
While Black Lives Matter St. Paul has an often-contentious relationship with local police, people at a forum promoted by the group Monday night said they hope the next chief of St. Paul police will be open to a closer relationship – and closer scrutiny.
About two dozen people attended the meeting co-hosted by a newer activist group called Black St. Paul at the headquarters of the Dayton’s Bluff Community Council. Meeting organizers were gathering input to help influence the city’s search for a new police chief after Thomas Smith’s announcement that he plans to retire at the end of his term. A city panel is accepting applicants now and will have a list of finalists in time for a pair of public meetings at the end of next month.
A recurring theme Monday was the need for a police force that is more connected to the community and less confrontational. Meeting participants said they want their next chief of police to build bridges between the force and the community.
“Crime is like looking for a needle in a haystack, so you’ve got to get the little people involved,” said Darnella Wade, whose son D’Onjay Jackson, 20, was shot and critically injured Feb. 6 during what police called a pot sale gone bad. “My kid was a kid who got shot doing what kids shouldn’t do over here on the East Side. They need a bridge. They need a way to divert their own bad choices.”
Wade said police investigating her son’s shooting told her the “no snitching” mentality contributes to more crime. She said the next police chief should support programs that help young people break the silence.
“It’s the little things like reporting Facebook pages with other kids with guns,” she said.
Other participants said they want a police chief who will help demilitarize the department and de-escalate conflicts with people in crisis. They said the next police chief needs to support an independent civilian review board and the use of body cameras in a way that keeps tabs on police as well as civilians. Others said they’d like to see a St. Paul police force that looks more like St. Paul’s demographics, and they’d like to see more officers living in the city instead of the suburbs.
While some participants talked about a need for liaisons between the police and the community, Adrian Thompson said he wanted police to be their own liaisons.
“How about the police doing that?” Thompson asked. “Walking the beat, engaging, asking, hugging. You know, is that far-fetched?”
