Members of the Black Lives Matter movement spoke to the Columbia Board of Aldermen about their concerns during this week's meeting.
All across the country protests have started following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man, after a white police officer pinned him to the ground for more than eight minutes with his knee on Floyd's neck in Minneapolis.
At Tuesday's meeting protesters, who have been demonstrating peacefully at the intersection of Broad Street and South High School Avenue all week, walked quietly into the municipal courtroom and waited for a chance to speak.
As the meeting was about to be adjourned, Aric Newsom stood up to ask if any of the issues raised earlier in the week have been addressed.
“We will follow up with it; we haven’t discussed anything about it this meeting,” Mayor Justin McKenzie said.
McKenzie told Newsom the group had some solid concerns and that they would be addressed.
“The incident in Minneapolis, the justice system needs to work. There needs to be some justice behind that. It is not right,” McKenzie said.
Newsom said they have become accustomed to people saying concerns are being heard but nothing is done. Years later, he said, they are right back where they started.
“We want to know you heard us, and you are taking us seriously. Everyone is saying they don’t want chaos, but that is what you can expect if you keep pushing our demands back and not really considering us. You know that; you were there with us,” Newsom said. “We are people, and we need y’all to understand the stuff we are addressing is serious, and y’all need to take it seriously.”
McKenzie referenced Alderwoman Anna Evans and how her husband was a long-time city police officer. McKenzie said Evans caught a lot of grief over the police department. Evans knew there were issues, McKenzie said. The problem was finding ways to combat the issues, he said.
McKenzie then mentioned the working cameras all around and in the building, including in the courtroom. Body cameras have been added to the city police department, he said. If the officer is on shift then he or she is required by policy to have a body camera on their person that is fully charged and functioning, and if they get out of the car to interact with anyone or a traffic stop, they have to turn it on, McKenzie said.
“That is not only for their protection or to find some way to prove that person is guilty in court; that is for your protection, too. That is for everybody they encounter. If our officers are out of line, they are going to be addressed,” McKenzie said.
McKenzie said he and Chief Michael Kelly have been trying for three years to try to put measures in place to ensure everyone is treated fairly.
“We have to quit talking about these changes and start doing. Sitting here year after year hearing we need to change isn’t going anywhere," Newsom responded back. "We shouldn’t be here a month from now, a year from now, having the same discussion. How many times do I have to say someone beat me upside the head before you say I am not going to let them put another knot on you?”
Newsom said the children in the neighborhoods listen to the older folks say there are road blocks set up and how the police beat up someone and the children are traumatized. The children do not know how to act around other people because they have been traumatized, Newsom said.
Positive police presence is needed, not negative, Newsom said. He said constant roadblocks make people trying to go to work nervous and said some of the pressure needs to be taken off them.
If the children are being traumatized then something needs to be done to stop that, the mayor said.
Evans recommended a coalition with the chief and a spokesperson to bring the message. Evans said everyone feels unheard. If a group of five people come to the meeting table with the chief and maybe four others talk, then maybe a common ground can be found, she said. Evans said she isn’t against the protesters assembling, but instead of people saying no one is listening, she said to form a coalition with the police so you know the concerns are being heard and something is being done.
Sherri Hartwell said the protests started in Marion County because they have been watching what is going on across the country and that the rioting and looting is something they do not want to start here. Hartwell said the goal is to be peaceful.
“I appreciate y’all coming out there and everything you are doing,” Hartwell said addressing Kelly.
“We don’t want to take people to jail,” Kelly said. “I would rather place a drug addict in rehab than in jail. Jail doesn’t work; the system is broke. We got to fix people, we have to rehabilitate people so they can go back to their families and jobs and be a productive member of society.”
Kelly said as long as police officers are professional, act like guardians of the community and care for people then the job is being done correctly. He said if he or the board found out a police officer beat somebody, that officer would no longer be employed with the department. Kelly said police officers have been terminated because it was discovered the officer was not up to the standards expected.
Regarding the body cams, Kelly said if someone says a person was beat up by a Columbia police officer, it should be on camera. If it is not on camera, the officer will be let go because the policy said the camera should have been on, Kelly said.
“We can be the change or we can talk about the change, but I can’t make the change on my own. This is the day that change starts in our community, and we all must work together to make the change,” McKenzie said.
