May 2021
President’s Message
Derek Chauvin, the former police officer who murdered George Floyd, was recently found guilty on all charges- A sign that perhaps police are starting to be held accountable. We issued this statement to the media in response to the verdict, and as you’ll note, it was extensively quoted.
Here in Bucks County, we are working to ensure that all residents feel safe with and protected by our police. Our Reimagining Public Safety team, led by Kayma Sherman-Knuckles, has been meeting with all 39 police chiefs in the county. She discusses a core belief we think we share with them: policing works best when there is trust between police and the community.
That is why we are asking the police chiefs to share information that will help us better understand both their policies and what actually happens on the ground. What are the policies on use of force? How often has force been used and what is the racial breakdown of the people against whom force was used? What is the traffic stop data by race? How about citations and arrests? What sorts of training do police officers receive, and are they trained to recognize implicit bias and to always de-escalate situations? What is the racial makeup of the police departments? What steps are being taken by the police departments to ensure that people of color are recruited?
Since we are a suburban area heavily dependent on cars, traffic stops are of particular interest to us. Police have a great deal of discretion to stop cars, and we all know that discretion often brings bias with it. “At Stanford University’s Open Policing Project, researchers analyzing more than 100 million traffic stops around the country found persistent racial disparities, with Black drivers more likely to be stopped and both Black and Hispanic drivers more likely to be searched. The researchers found that officers needed less suspicion to decide to search Black and Hispanic drivers.” (New York Times, April 17)
Many tragic incidents, including the black Army officer who was stopped in Virginia and the shooting of Daunte Wright, a black youth, started as traffic stops, often for pretextual reasons. In fact, traffic stops have been called the “stop and frisk of the roadways.” Most local police departments do not track traffic stops that do not result in citations, so we are pushing departments to collect and officially release such data.
My son is a law enforcement officer in a nearby state, and of course I am always worried for him. Police officers who treat people disrespectfully and lean into conflict are a danger not only to citizens but to their fellow officers, including my son. Their behavior teaches people not to count on the police, and our streets become more dangerous. Our work on Reimagining Public Safety is so important to me because it is personal, as I’m sure it is for you. We will keep you updated on our progress.
Karen Downer
President
NAACP Bucks County Branch #2253
