The past year has made many NC State students feel helpless in the face of the red-tape surrounding true change for police reform in Raleigh. There is now a chance to push for more change: Raleigh is on the lookout for its new police chief and is opening the floor to public input.
Raleigh police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown was set to retire April 1 but will stay on as interim chief until June 30. Raleigh City Manager Marchell Adams-David, Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin and the consulting firm Public Sector Search & Consulting expect the police chief replacement to have a start date of July 1.
For those of us who cannot be on campus in Raleigh these next few months because of COVID-19, there might be virtual options for input. Adams-David expects most of the public input to be in online forms because of pandemic restrictions, more details should be announced soon.
Many Raleigh citizens were downtown during the summer Black Lives Matter protests or following suit in our own hometowns, and many were disappointed by the little progress that was made. A new police chief could mark the beginning of a new era for social justice and a safer community in Raleigh. Through the summer protests, Raleigh created a scarecrow police advisory board to tide locals over, despite current police chief Deck-Brown standing in opposition to its creation.
The police advisory board was not what protesters and activists had hoped for as it holds little power against the Raleigh City Council and holds no investigative or subpoena powers. Instead, the advisory board simply serves as a liaison between the city council and the community.
We were all hoping for a police advisory board with sharp teeth — one that would actually take active steps to cause positive police reform.
“The board will not conduct investigations, hear testimony, or contribute to disciplinary action,” states the board’s website. “The board will not respond to citizen complaints. The board will not collect data. Any complaints received by the city will be shared with this board to drive their work prioritization.”
Two advisory board members have already stepped down less than a year after its creation citing “guarded and defensive attitudes,” and “disrespect from leadership.” It is a little too coincidental that the board members are whistle-blowing “disrespect from leadership” after Deck-Brown has repeatedly opposed citizen-led advisory boards.
Raleigh needs a police chief who is not only committed to transparency but is also prioritizing community relationships, setting the tone for respect and appreciation for the advisory board and future police reform. We can help find that police chief for our city. We must stay vigilant these next few months to follow through with the change we want to see.
Updates will be posted on the city of Raleigh’s social media pages as well as links to future city council and town hall meetings.
