EDITOR: This is addressed to the Aurora City Council and Aurora Police Chief:
In the aftermath of Denver’s and other cities’ protests that grew more and more angry and destructive, as police peppersprayed, pepperballed, and flashbanged crowds, and in light of Mayor Hancock’s and Gov Polis’ statements on how they also mourn the murder at the hands of police of George Floyd, it occurred to me that real leadership would have avoided escalating the situation and would have instead acted proactively and productively by : asking police to make some signs of their own, noting their sorrow at the needless death of George Floyd, that they are against excessive use of force and will not tolerate it against anyone in Denver/Colorado, and then have at least some officers marching WITH the protestors.
The county sheriff in Flint, Michigan did just that; see the very inspiring and instructive story below, titled “I took the Helmet Off and Laid the Batons Down: Michigan Sheriff and Police Didn’t Disperse their Town’s Protest- They Joined it”. Now THAT was REAL leadership- communicating proactively, uniting, and community building, ! No one arrested, no one hurt. Please encourage Aurora Police leadership to follow suit in the future, to choose a path of uniting community whenever possible.
In light of several Aurora incidents of excessive force and inappropriate behavior last year that gained national attention and badly damaged resident trust in Aurora police, Aurora needs to exercise that kind of proactive, intelligent, community-healing and trust-building policy. I therefore request that you consider a resolution ASAP by City Council, hopefully with the endorsement of the Aurora police department, declaring that excessive force on the part of police will not be tolerated in Aurora, but rather, prosecuted, and to also resolve that Aurora will take immediate steps to set up an independent auditor and civilian resident oversight committee, to assure the transparency, quality and integrity of investigations of citizen complaints. Residents of Aurora need that proactive statement and commitment, to recover trust in Aurora police and City Council’s oversight of police policy, and to avoid angry outbursts against police in Aurora.
As stated in Police Chief Magazine:
“Police work is highly dependent upon public trust. Without legitimacy, police have more incidents of resistance, and uses of force, which again perpetuates the mistrust and overall feeling that police can’t police their own. The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing noted that, “law enforcement’s obligation is not only to reduce crime, but also to do so fairly while protecting the rights of citizens.”18 Growing numbers of activists believe that civilian oversight is a way to restore that legitimacy and ensure procedural justice, and the media plays a huge role in shaping that narrative….If law enforcement leaders focus on helping to create the change as opposed to fighting it at every turn, they can not only create oversight that is accepted by their agencies, but also help guide the organizational change. Officer morale will increase because public opinion will change. Most importantly, the police will have improved policies, procedures and organizational cultures that are accepted by the communities they serve.”
Thank you for your consideration of these proposals.
— Sonia Skakich-Scrima, via letters@sentinelcolorado.com