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A Blue Wall of Silence
With Alvin L. Thornton,
People's Coalition for Police Accountability
Thursday, July 5, 2001; 1 p.m. EDT
Prince George's County police officers shot and killed people at rates that exceeded those of nearly any other large police force in the United States from 1990 through 2000. Almost half the people targeted by police were unarmed. Police officials declared all of the shootings justified but kept details about them secret. Police have shot at least a dozen mentally ill or emotionally distraught people since 1990, including six whom officers were initially called to help.
Alvin L. Thornton is the former chairman of the Prince George's County school board member and has been involved in the People's Coalition for Police Accountability. A professor of political science at Howard University, Thornton's publications include Like A Phoenix I'll Rise: An Illustrated History of African Americans in Prince George's County, Maryland, a book written with Karen Gooden.
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Pasadena, Md.:
The Prince George's County police department sounds like an organization out of control and filled with thugs who really belong in prison. At what point does such an organization lose its authority and police powers? To whom are they accountable? And why don't we have independent (non-police) oversight of police departments? Can one really expect an organization to honestly police itself?
Alvin L. Thornton: The Police Department can not police itself. Police officers should be given the same rights and protections as other citizens. The county police department needs enhanced citizens' oversight. Presently, it is too insulated from citizens' review by elected officials who are not as sensitive to inappropriate actions by individual officers. County, State and Federal authorities should immediately make adjustments to the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights, and create a strong independent local citizens' oversight review panel. Elected officials should hold the police department to the same level of accountability to which the school system was held.
Hyattsville, Md.:
Why hasn't the state police or attorney general begin an investigation concerning Prince George's police?
Alvin L. Thornton: In Maryland, significant defference is given to law enforcement agencies and individuals officers. This is a function, in part, of elected officials' perception of public expectations and the electoral role played by law enforcement organizations. It is also, in part, a function of the view that the community on which illegal actions are visited have limited political power and electoral influence. The state police and Attorney General appear to be taking their lead from the County's elected black officials, especially the County Executive. Clearly the matter has reached a point where the public's safety and resources have been compromised without adequate intervention by local officials. Committees of the General Assembly should be as involved with this issue as they have recently been where school issues are concerned. Their absence is very revealing and instructive.
College Park, Md.:
Hi Dr. Thornton. Pleasure communicating with you again. I haven't seen you in a while but I have seen professor Walters. Here's my question. Why in the face of such alarming statistics and the quentessential cover-ups by police officials over time is Mr. Curry just now looking to appoint an independent special counsel to reexamine these cases? Do you think his epiphany is reflective of his deep-felt concerns for the family and friends of those injured or killed by a clearly out of control police force or is Mr. Curry concerned about how this issue will fly in the upcoming gubernatorial campaign? Looking forward to your response.
Adrian Wright
Alvin L. Thornton: Clearly, the County Executive and other state and county elected officials have not exercised proper oversight of the Police Department. They have permitted the rights of citizens, mostly black citizens, to be violated. This is unfortunate. I think they are listening to two voices, one that says control crime at any cost including some violation of citizens' rights, and one that says good policing is possible without violating people's rights. The former is considered to be a voting and property owning community and the latter less relevant economically and poliitcally. Decision-making is often driven my polls and not what is being done to people.
Bowie, MD:
I grew up in Prince George's and bought my first home here last year, after living out of the DC area for many years.
Bowie has a large number of police officers from all jurisdictions who live here. Most of them seem to be truly decent people who became cops to make the world a safer place. It seems somewhat unfair that every police officer is being painted with the same brush as those 20% (according to the Post series) that are causing the majority of the problems.
However, as a result of the series, I do find myself fearing the police more than I ever did. It seems that a number of police officers became cops to be able to break the law with no culpability.
What do you recommend Prince Georges' citizens do first to get some changes? No one should have to fear dying at the hands of the police.
Alvin L. Thornton: The immediate action that should be taken is a demand that all county agencies be sujected to high accountability expectations, not just the school system. If a strong oversight panel is good for the school system, one would appear to be needed for the Police Department given what we now know. A strong citizens' review panel with independent powers would restore your confidence in the Department and save our community millions of dollors in lost civil claims. The County Executive and Council should hold the Police Chief and his senior staff accountable. Millions of dollars of our tax monies are being wasted; money that could be spent on our children's education.
Washington, D.C.:
Why has it taken so long for these Prince George's police officers to be acquitted for their wrongdoing? Most of the cases have been senseless acts of violence on innocent people, I think they need to be held responsible and justice needs to be served.
Alvin L. Thornton: Police officers deserve all rights that are available to other citizens. The judicial process often takes a long time. Outside the judicial prcocess, however, elected officials and administrative officers must make sure that inappropriate officers are not hired, that all officers are properly trained, and that citizens are fully involved in the resolution of disputes involving the police and the community. Presently, this is not the case. The act of policing the community must be de-politicized and politicians freed to regulate the actions of police officers that are harmful to the community. The fabric of the community will be weakened if this is not done.
Queen Anne Town, MD:
A natural impulse is to blame the chief of police. However, as he serves at the behest of the Council and County Executive, he cannot make profound changes in police practices without their backing. Is this true? Could Chief Farrell have introduced more radical measures, such as outright firing of officers and their commanders?
Does the recent censure by the policy body of the Chief mean that he is pushing reform, and the beat cops don't like it?
Why has it taken so long for the County Exec and Assembly reps to make commitments to action, either in support of the Chief or otherwise?
Alvin L. Thornton: The environment in which a Chief of Police functions is created by the County Executive, Council, and state officials. The environment that created the current situation clearly suggested that accountability was not a high priority. Direct firings by the Chief is generally not possible because of the rights individual officers. They deserve rights, but not ones that exceed those of the average citizen. We must do two things at once, aggressively hold police accountable while implementing social and economic policies that will remove the community and individual decay in which police brutality often takes place.
landover, md:
I am not in objection to a citizen review panel, but how can you pick citizens who have no idea or ever experienced a deadly force situation, and make them evaluate a incident and determine a persons (police officer) future. As a police officer who has been in a deadly force situation (I was shot at) I feel like packing up my family and moving out of this state when I hear that professionals as yourself should tell us how we should have reacted when we are faced with this situation. Don't you agree that in order to judge a persons actions you have to have some experience in what we face on a daily basis. I keep hearing that we need to better understand culture. I think people should learn to understand our job and what we face. I think that most of the citizens upset with police don't know the other side of the statistics (the amount of violent crime incidents where police art called to respond to)in this county.
Alvin L. Thornton: Most citizens uderstand that only a small minority element of the Police Department is the source of the problem. That element must be addressed. In a democracy, all professionals with specialized training, police officers, teachers, military officers, etc., are ultimately accountable to civilians who may not have the secialized training, but make final decisions about the appropriateness of the actions of the professionals. A democracy work in that manner. Police officers should not be be excluded from this type of system. I encourage you not to move. The issue before us is a national one, as communities across the nation are working together to seek solutions to community police relations. Let us work together to develop a citizens' ovesight process that respects the needs of our police officers while addressing the concerns of citiaens and txpayers.
Clinton, MD:
From the time the Police Chief was hired, the department has gotten out of control. Do you feel it is time for him to go?
Alvin L. Thornton: Rarely does the firing of one person, a superintendent of schools or police chief, solve a problem. It may give the impressive that it is being solved. The commitment must be broader and involve county, state and local officials holding the chief and the department accountable. The message should go out, hearings should be held, much as was done repeatedly for the school system, and audits should be conducted to rid the department of those elements and practices that are compromising the integrity of the department and hurting our county. It really is not that difficult. It only requires politial will.
Oxon Hill,MD:
I am a citizen of Prince George's County
and I am concerned that all of this
negative press coverage will cause the
police to look the other way when crimes
are occurring for fear of complaints.
Crime is bad enough down here, I am
very concerned.
Alvin L. Thornton: Illegal policing does not increase safety. Actually, it increases tension between sections of the community and elements of the police department and leads to more incidents. Police officers whould be very aggressive in their response to criminal behavior, no matter its source. They should respond, however, legally and with proper training. Their response pattern should be equitable and legal, notwithstanding the communty's socio-economic status or other defining attributes.
Greenbelt, Md.:
The articles in The Post have been read by the good and bad police officers. Do you think the good police officers are going to be motivated to go the extra mile on each call, after being portrayed so badly by The Post. This is a dangerous job and right now morale must be really bad. How do you address those good police officers?
Alvin L. Thornton: First, understand that the community knows that the overwhelming majority of police officers do not visit brutality on the community and violate citizens rights. Unfortunately, too many have and still do at great financial and social cost to our county. Their needs to be a discussion among officers about this matter and a culture developed that will not tolerate any brutality or cover-ups. Public accountability can be painful, but in the end all benefit -- the agency, the community, and individuals offices and citizens. Inernally, what are officers saying about the accuracy of the Post articles?
Charlotte, N.C.:
If I were a citizen in your county, I would fear for my life. It seems that there are just as many criminals in the police department itself, as there are criminals in your city. This type of corruption cannot go on forever. With this age of lawsuits, can your city really afford to be so blind to what is going on? An unbiased investigation by the Post seems to be the only voice of reason concerning this subject. Can we really let our criminals be the jury and judge for themselves? Only in the case of the police force, it seems.
Alvin L. Thornton: The pattern in our community follows that of others across the nation, including your own state. Police brutality and lack of citizen's oversight is a national issue. Of course, we have a major probelm that has now come to a head and must be addressed. No public agency or official should be allowed to police themselves. In a democracy, citizens should always be the locus of the final decision.
washingtonpost.com:
That was our last question today. Thanks to everyone who joined the
discussion.
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