A community forum Tuesday on rebuilding trust between Denver residents and law enforcement tread in niceties until racial profiling came up.
The Rev. Reginald Holmes of the Denver Ministerial Alliance said the city needs to admit it happens and urged Denver to begin collecting better data on police stops.
“We tiptoe up to the issue, and we don’t talk about it honestly,” Holmes said. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t an issue, but we want to pretend the issue isn’t there.”
About 50 community members gathered at New Hope Baptist Church in northeast Denver to talk about the community’s relationship with law enforcement. Panelists included Denver police officers, Denver sheriff’s deputies, District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, community activists, pastors and students.
The discussion was moderated by state Rep. Angela Williams, D-Denver.
The forum comes on the heels of heavy criticism of police after four cases in seven months in which officers shot at moving vehicles. Two people have been killed, and three have been injured.
While the goal was to come up with solutions, the answers were overshadowed by complaints about the ongoing issues surrounding law enforcement in Denver.
During the discussion about profiling, Maya Thomas, an East High School senior, called for education and training on both sides.
The student, who described herself as mixed-race, admitted she has friends and family who break the law and then complain about profiling when they are caught.
But she said statistics that show a disproportionate number of minorities in jail indicate there is a problem.
“Those numbers are ridiculous,” she said.
Denver Police Commander Les Perry admitted racial profiling exists.
“We must keep our eyes open,” he said.
For example, Perry said, officers need to be aware of what it sounds like when an officer asks a person how they afforded a car. He tries to use officers’ missteps as teaching moments.
Several residents called for stronger citizen oversight of police, including northeast Denver resident Keith Hammock. He said residents in other parts of the city are not subjected to the demeaning treatment that he has faced when being pulled over by police.
“I’m not meant to lay down at his feet,” Adams said. “If I resist, he has the authority to shoot me or beat me to death. All they tell me is I fit a description. What … is that? A black man.
“We have no oversight that says they have to explain things.”
