Topekans for Racial Justice calls for creation of citizen review board

Local members of a group formed over the summer are calling for the creation of a citizen review board to increase transparency and improve relations between the Topeka Police Department and the community.

“I think the police need to be more accountable to the citizens,” said Topekans for Racial Justice member Oshara Meesha. “A citizens review board will help to give a greater voice to the community.”

“TPD is open to dialogue and always willing to consider options and suggestions from the community,” said department spokeswoman Amy McCarter.

She pointed out that Topeka Police Chief James Brown established an advisory board, made up of nine people with diverse backgrounds.

“The purpose of this board is to encourage cooperation between law enforcement and the citizens we serve by facilitating discussions about current law enforcement practices and issues of importance or concern to the citizens of our local community,” McCarter said. “The board also provides perspective to the police chief with regard to policy development, education and outreach within the community.”

In March, Brown reached out to the board to get feedback on developing a new use of force policy. In September, a policy, based on “objective reasonableness” was implemented.

Brown is stepping down on Jan. 1 to take a full-time position as the Kansas National Guard’s command senior enlisted leader. Maj. Kris Kramer will assume the interim police chief role Jan. 2. McCarter said Kramer plans to continue to utilize the advisory board.

“The goal of the TPD is to continue the success of this partnership and ensure that law enforcement services are provided professionally and fairly to all members of our community,” McCarter said.

Advisory board member Stephanie Mott said she thought Brown was, “highly proactive in working to improve community relations and interactions with marginalized communities.” Mott pointed to recruiting initiatives to bring the department more in line with city demographics and the inclusion of the board in reviewing various police actions. She added that discussion of a citizen review board “with limited powers” shouldn’t take place before a new chief has been appointed.

Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan, of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and a member of Topekans for Racial Justice, said the advisory board isn’t enough given that those on the board were selected by Brown. She also is interested in knowing how the department plans on involving the community in selecting the next police chief.

TFRJ was formed in response to a series of fatal police shootings over the summer in the U.S. that garnered attention as well as a local discussion in August that ended in chaos. That event, at New Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, ended abruptly after angry protesters drowned out remarks from Brown. Some criticized the protesters for being disruptive, disrespectful and using profanity. Others criticized the format of the meeting and Brown, who read prepared remarks.

Oglesby-Dunegan said she thought it was a “police-controlled conversation” and that Brown was “clearly uncomfortable.” The members of the advisory board stood behind Brown, she added.

Meesha said Topeka has issues pertaining to race relations that are “under the surface.”

Bringing those to light can be difficult. Engaging in dialogue can be challenging and uncomfortable, Oglesby-Dunegan said. Some people may not feel comfortable voicing their grievances. Others may feel like nothing is going to change, so why even bother. Additionally, many of the problems go beyond a “bad apple,” she said, and are systematic in nature.

Systematic racism exists and does real harm to individuals and the community, Oglesby-Dunegan said.

The Topeka Police Department has held a number of community outreach events such as “coffee with a cop” which has benefits. But Oglesby-Dunegan said conversations on community relations need to have depth, be ongoing and reach those uncomfortable parts to really get anywhere.

Members of Topekans for Racial Justice see a citizen review board as one way to dive deeper into these challenges. The organization’s working group on citizen review boards have looked at different models in similar sized cities. There is a wide variety of models and the amount of decision-making power boards have. TFRJ plan on presenting the idea to other local groups and getting feedback on how such a board would most effectively function in Topeka.

“Cops have the hardest job in the world,” said Spencer Crowl, who heads the working group. “But police policing themselves does not work.”

He would like to see a citizen review board that is independent from the police department. Anyone participating on the board would undergo training to understand law enforcement responsibilities. The board would hear complaints and assess if they are founded or not.

When people feel part of the process, as opposed to being dictated down to, they can work on solutions together, Meesha said.

Another role of the board would be to collect data on information such as the racial breakdown of traffic stops. The racial makeup of the department is something else to examine, Oglesby-Dunegan said. A recruiting analysis shows the 2016 training academy was comprised of 12 white people and two Hispanic people. There were no blacks, American Indians, Asians or biracial individuals, however a community recruiting program was showing encouraging signs, the analysis said.

Other topics TFRJ has looked at include the school-to-prison pipeline and white privilege. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. Jan. 29, 2017, in room 205 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.