Officials, NAACP discuss concerns
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on January 16, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Goldsboro-Wayne NAACP President Sylvia Barnes discusses race relations and the police before inviting community members to ask the panel of city officials about any of their concerns on the topic.
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Lendell Williams raises his concerns regarding the Goldsboro Police Department.
Tempers flared Thursday during a meeting between city officials and members of the local chapter of the NAACP -- as some local residents expressed concern about everything from the lack of minorities in the Goldsboro Police Department to the way officers interact with blacks in the city.
Dozens converged on the Rebuilding Broken Places headquarters for the "Together We Chat" forum -- a meeting called after local NAACP president Sylvia Barnes spoke to the City Council about racial issues she said are reaching a boiling point.
As the discussion unfolded, Mayor Al King never wavered.
The GPD, he said, is doing the best it can.
"When I see these terrible things that are happening throughout the country, I will tell my wife, 'That's not going to happen in Goldsboro,'" he said. "And I say that with a lot of confidence, because I know the people in uniform who are protecting this community."
But several members of the community, including Bobby Jones, were not moved by his loyalty.
"In the past, when we've looked at the city of Goldsboro's African-American representation on the police force, those demographics are kind of similar to what we saw in Ferguson in terms of representation," Jones said.
And when police Chief Jeff Stewart revealed that he only has 17 black officers -- 13 male and four female -- in a community that is 54 percent black, groans and murmurs could be heard throughout the audience.
King said he, too, was concerned about the lack of black officers within the GPD, but argued that the city has tried to tip the scales toward a more equal balance.
"That is a problem for us," he said. "Minority law enforcement people, throughout the state and the country, there's an acute shortage of them. There's just a shortage of minority -- black -- law enforcement people. We've been recruiting them, but as soon as we train them and get them, they're gone."
Another concern voiced Thursday was how police relate to minorities in the community -- and what some characterized as a culture of mistrust that clouds the relationship between police and minority communities.
One issue involves policy -- that when something happens in the community, be it with the police or otherwise, those involved are scared to formally make a complaint because then their name will be in writing.
"One of the policies is that if you have a complaint that you would like to be investigated, you must put that complaint in writing," Ms. Barnes said. "A lot of people do not put it in writing because they say, 'I don't want my name on it. I don't want them to know. I'm a mother or I'm a father or I'm a grandmother and I drive and I have younger children that are driving, so if you can't help me then I'll just run along.'"
Ms. Barnes said she feels police should be out in the community every day -- working to build trust and a friendly relationship between officers and the community.
Lendell Williams had another criticism.
He said he felt the mayor and chief believe the police force is so good that officers are without fault.
"I don't believe the Goldsboro Police Department is without fault," Williams said. "You (King) said a situation like Ferguson isn't going to happen in Goldsboro. I don't believe that."
The mayor shot back.
"I don't believe it either," he said. "I said it's not going to happen in Goldsboro because I don't believe it will, but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen. We are not perfect."
Williams said the mayor should rephrase how he gets that message across, because the statements he is currently making might give officers the impression they can do as they please because they will be backed by the mayor and police chief.
"I'm not going to say what you want me to say," King said. "I'm going to say what I believe in, OK?"
After the heated exchange, the conversation moved toward how to improve the tense relations between police and minorities in Goldsboro.
And by the end of the nearly three-hour forum, community members and leaders agreed that events like the one held Thursday are a first step -- and that more are needed.
"This alone won't do anything," Francine Smith said. "But if we keep doing this then things will start to change. We can't give up."
Ms. Barnes agreed, adding that honest talks with officials must go on if any change is to be had.
"If we have a seminar and only two or three people show up at that seminar, we can't get upset and say, 'Well, they ain't coming no way,'" Ms. Barnes said. "I want to see hundreds of people out here talking about these issues. We will have as many of these as we feel necessary."