African-American police chiefs comment on police-community relations

   Dallas Police Chief David Brown made headlines last week when he asked protesters to “put your signs down, and come pick up an application. We will put you patrolling in your own neighborhood so you can help solve the issues.”

   Brown, an African-American, was front and center during the recent murders of five police officers during protests related to the two cases where black men were killed by white police officers. 

   Some experts have said there are advantages in having police operating in their own communities. Local African-American police chiefs were asked if they agree with Brown’s call for members of their community to seek to join or work with their police to solve the problems they are protesting.  Three of those police chiefs responded, offering their insights into the turmoil gripping much of the nation.

   Being a police chief is not an easy job under the best of conditions. Being an African-American police chief during times of racial tension is certainly not the best of conditions.

 

    Corner said he wants to hire  police officers who live in Bunkie, but getting officers who are qualified has been a problem.

   “One issue is pay, because small towns can’t pay officers very much money,” Corner said. “Then, once they are trained, they leave and go to a bigger agency that pays more.”

   Corner said the relationship between police and the community -- not just the African-American community -- is complex. He said he does not look at race in any issue involving the police.

“Law enforcement is what it is,” Corner said. “People, black or white, don’t realize what it takes to be a police officer. We can’t be biased on anything dealing with law enforcement.”

 

   Anderson said most of his full-time and part-time police officers are from Cottonport, and he has no problem with finding applicants when vacancies occur. However, he said he personally is more concerned with having an officer “who will do the right thing at the right time rather than hiring him because he is from Cottonport. Other agencies may have a different view.”

   Anderson said the event in Baton Rouge led to a peaceful protest of between 10-15 people in Cottonport’s Sarah Williams Park on July 10. 

  “We didn’t want to interfere with their protest and it was peaceful,” Anderson said. “I was concerned for their safety and the safety of the residents of Cottonport so we kept an eye on them, but everything went well.

   “It’s not about black or white,” Anderson continued. “It’s all about safety.”

  Anderson said it would be inappropriate to comment on the Baton Rouge case itself, but said he feels “for the family and their loss.” He said the court system will determine guilt and innocence of parties involved in the shooting.

 

   Greenhouse said his policy is to hire people from the town first before considering applicants who live in other communities.He said police officers from Simmesport “know the community and the people” and are better able to defuse tense situations.

    Greenhouse also said he feels for both sides in the Baton Rouge shooting, saying it was a tragic loss of life in a police-involved shooting.

   “Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day,” Greenhouse said. “For the most part, there are citizens that respect law enforcement and some that don’t.”

   Greenhouse said he did not watch much of the news coverage of the Baton Rouge case because he’s focusing on making sure Simmesport’s residents and visitors are safe.

   Mansura Police Chief John Johnson and Evergreen Police Chief both said they had no comment on the issue.