From Councilmember Rodney Roberts’ emphasis on the word justice in leading the pledge of allegiance, through the unanimous approval of a proclamation declaring that black lives matter in Greenbelt, and elsewhere to acknowledging the need for more discussion of what police reform steps may be necessary, the Greenbelt City Council, at its Monday, June 8 meeting, took its first actions in response to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Many of the councilmembers, officers and staff had participated in peaceful demonstrations and they now turned to “what happens next?”
While the councilmembers and Police Chief Richard Bowers expressed confidence in city police, all agreed that the city must evaluate its current practices and identify any areas needing improvement.
Mayor Colin Byrd presented two proclamations, neither tied directly to the current situation but both still relevant. The first, presented virtually to Alexander Barnes Sr., pro-claimed June to be Peace Month in Greenbelt. The proclamation noted the longstanding efforts by the city through its various social service entities such as the Community Relations Advisory Board, CARES youth and family counseling, and recreation programs to nurture a culture pervaded by peace and nonviolence and continue their commitment to diversity, cooperation, peace and nonviolence. Councilmember Emmett Jordan expressed his hope that the city could make Peace Month last all year.
In the second, Byrd proclaimed June 2020 as 13th Amendment/Juneteenth Commemoration Month in Greenbelt, encouraging all citizens and staff to recognize and celebrate the enactment of the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified on December 18, 1865 and prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude. Resident Lois Rosado explained that Juneteenth commemorates the date, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, when slaves in Texas first learned that they were free.
The proclamation includes the point that slavery existed “on the farms and plantations that later became Greenbelt.”
City Manager
City Manager Nicole Ard read a statement she had delivered to all city employees. After thanking staff and the police, the statement noted that “our community, with a history of both segregation and efforts to be inclusive, has people of all beliefs and personal histories. Recent demonstrations and lootings may bring up conversations that may make people uncomfortable.” She encouraged staff to listen, review the community pledge and keep it in mind as they interact with residents. She asked all employees to help identify ways to ensure that Greenbelt is a place where everyone can thrive.
Later in the meeting, council took additional steps in response to this issue. Council unanimously approved a motion proposed by Byrd: “Black lives matter, in Greenbelt, in Maryland, in the United States of America and all around the globe.”
How to React
There was then a broader discussion of how Greenbelt could and should react to the issues raised about police policies and practices. An agenda item requested by Councilmember Rodney Roberts on “Police Training and Reporting” provided an opportunity for a broader discussion. Roberts said that the violent tactics used by some officers are learned behavior that must be replaced with training on proper techniques and procedures. He called for the development of an online database where citizens could review any officer’s training rec-ords.
Roberts also wants to see more training on peaceful techniques and called for the development of a package of police reforms. Without such reform, incidents such as the recent ones will keep happening, he said. Roberts also objected to the militarization of policing, such as Greenbelt’s acquisition of an armored personnel carrier.
Byrd said his biggest concern was that the experiences of people of color not be marginalized. He said he hears things that are “absolutely worthy” of being addressed. He said that we need to get away from an “us versus them” attitude but acknowledged that he does not think city officers view people facing serious issues as an enemy. He noted that African Americans’ experiences may be different from those of non-African Americans and hoped that people do not make sweeping categorizations that are divisive. Those raising issues such as those raised by Roberts and himself should not be considered ungrateful for the good work city officers do.
Roberts asked whether Greenbelt allows no-knock warrants to be served in Greenbelt and noted that such warrants being served on innocent people have led to their deaths. “We need to get off the idea,” he said, “that we are perfect here in Greenbelt.” Roberts said he has seen instances where city officers were not really doing the kind of policing we would expect. “Let’s set an example for others to do better,” he said. [Note: city police do not serve warrants.]
Jordan and Councilmember Judith Davis supported having multiple worksessions on this topic. Davis stressed that these sessions should focus on the city’s force, not policing in general. She said that the department is better than they were when she first joined council as the city has addressed more and more of the complex issues.
Chief’s View
Bowers stated that everyone in law enforcement who sees the video of Floyd being held down by officers finds it to be disturbing and completely unacceptable. It is not legal; it is murder and we should not accept it, he said.
Although Bowers expressed confidence in his officers, he agreed that it is important to look for ways to improve. He declared that it is the Police Department’s culture to not toler-ate such behavior. In response to Floyd’s death, Bowers has met with every officer to discuss the department’s culture of accountability and what it takes to do the right thing. Further, he has reminded each officer that it is their responsibility not only to make sure that they do the right thing but to ensure that the officers with them do the right thing. They have an obligation to intervene to stop wrongdoing by another officer and to report what happened.
The department already has an ongoing review process as part of its accreditation to identify what the department needs to improve. While the state requires that each officer take at least 18 hours of training per year, the department regularly exceeds that requirement. He had planned to have several officers on each shift take critical incident training. This had to be rescheduled due to COVID-19. He considers this essential training that will be rescheduled once the economy reopens.
In response to Roberts’ question about the city’s armored personnel carrier, the chief called it a tool that while not needed on a day-to-day basis, can be essential in a situation where an officer or resident must be rescued from a violent situation.
Going Forward
Bowers noted that there will be a virtual Community Forum on Thursday, June 18 at 7 p.m., in which the police will provide information and respond to residents’ questions. Among the topics he expects to be covered are what the department does and does not allow and use of force. See the city ad on page 5 for details on how to participate in the meeting.