Positive policy changes under a new chief at YPD
Community leaders are pleased to see a number of positive policy changes they have lobbied for being implemented under a new Police Chief at YPD.
If you have a complaint against the Youngstown Police Department, it's now easier to make it official. For decades someone who wanted to file a complaint had to go downtown to file a complaint in person, a process that could be intimidating.
Now, the form is online and can be mailed in. It's just the first in a number of moves being called for by some African American leaders.
Pastor Kenneth Simon is a long-time Youngstown minister who has been honored for his work in the community says the majority of police are good. However he tells us he has also been the victim of racial profiling while driving in the city.
Pastor Simon added, "I've been the victim of many stops simply for driving while black, didn't violate any law, wasn't speeding, didn't run a stop sign, just got stopped."
Reverend Simon and other black leaders have been pushing for the Youngstown Police Department to institute policies to hold police officers more accountable for the stops they make. That's why Simon who is also Chairman of the First Steps Coalition, Councilman Julius Oliver, Councilwoman Anita Davis, and Councilman and former police chief Jimmy Hughes are among those who want the department to compile demographic information. They believe the documentation of race for all stops, searches, and arrests during traffic stops need to be kept so police can see if profiling is going on.
Councilman Hughes said, "It will be less likely for them to center in on one race or group of individuals."
Then there's the issue of filing a complaint against a police officer. For years, you had to come downtown Youngstown police department to file a complaint, go through security, a maze of hallways and wait in the hallway or in a small room and wait for an Internal Affairs Officer to give you a form, or write down your complaint. It's a process some including councilman Julius Oliver believes is far too intimidating to be effective.
Councilman Oliver said, "It's very intimidating to the average person to go down to the police department and try to fill out a complaint against police officer. I know it has to be a high pressure situation. I know for me sitting in that chair even as a council person waiting for someone to come in and take down my story. But as a leader you have to stand up so it doesn't happen to other people."
Black leaders want a procedure similar to what the city of Warren instituted around 20 years ago when the U-S Justice Department was investigating excessive force complaints in that department. One of the many changes that came out of that time was making complaint forms more easily available.
Thomas Conley, the CEO and President of the Greater Warren, Youngstown Urban League was one of the sites, the NAACP, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Ministerial Alliance, which is compromised of churches in the area. We would even take the complaint down to the police department our selves so the person making the complaint didn't have to. At the time Warren had about one complaint a day. With continuing police training and oversight by the Department of Justice, and even with the end of oversight by the DOJ the complaints dropped significantly. I really feel like departments should use the best practices. It really is that easy."
When people drop forms at the Warren Mayor's office, Law Director's Office, or Police Chief's Office they could request a time stamped copy showing the date and time they turned in the complaint. They also had the option of mailing the complaints in by certified return receipt.
Now with new Police Chief Carl Davis on board it appears changes are coming quickly. Just recently complaint forms were posted online. You can now print one and mail it in. The department believes it's a big step in the right direction.
Lt. Brian Butler said, "I was unable to speak to anyone who was against it. I would think anyone would appreciate streamlining any type of process and
being able to take advantage of technology. The new chief obviously has a background in internal affairs, so he was definitely in favor of doing so and getting it done. It was something we always wanted to do, but it has since been implemented."
Soon the YPD Service Department under Captain Jason Simon will roll out its policy on Bias Free Policing, Youngstown has had policies in the past, but this is a new policy.
The department also now has software it needs to begin compiling racial demographics on every traffic stop made by police. That part of the plan could roll out next month. All changes black leaders say are needed to help re-establish trust.