Council hears traffic stop concerns

Jan. 19—DANVILLE — Resident Derek Cooper asked city officials for answers at Tuesday night's Danville City Council meeting after having been stopped by the Danville Police Department nine times since 2018.

Cooper, 59, who is Black and a veteran, is a former Decatur resident who relocated to Danville in 2010 to take advantage of the services offered at the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System. He's a 16-year decorated combat Army Ranger. He's been employed at Quaker Oats since 2013.

Cooper said his 17-year-old son won't ride in his car with him because of the number of times he's been stopped by police.

Cooper said if he's done something wrong, he will own up to it. Out of the nine stops, he's received one ticket.

He said his wife wanted to have a meeting with then Mayor Scott Eisenhauer when the traffic stops started.

If the police are trying to scare him, "I'm afraid," Cooper said.

He said police officers who are fellow veterans understand the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder effects he is suffering from.

Cooper asked city officials if he can meet with someone "where we can get this handled."

He asked if it's his car, himself or if he's driving on the wrong side of town, about why he's being stopped.

"I just need some kind of answers, man," Cooper said.

Aldermen were given a list of the traffic stops starting in March 2018 and going to March 2022. Reasons cited for the stops: lights off; no complete stop at a stop sign; traveling 34 mph in a 30-mph zone; no turn signal; rear plate light out/dirty; obstructed vision, air freshener hanging from rear view mirror; crossing solid white line; and speeding.

Aldermen also were provided a letter from Cooper's clinical psychologist on Cooper's PTSD.

Cooper is concerned another traffic stop could lead him to being harmed in some way. It could push him to an emotional state that could lead to his death. He might overreact which could cause a police officer to overreact, according to Cooper.

In addition, the council heard from former alderman Lloyd Randle on behalf of Cooper.

Randle said Cooper came to him because Cooper recalled a conversation they had regarding Randle's attempts to have the city conduct a formal traffic stop study. The City of Urbana commissioned a study which reviewed traffic and pedestrian stops of minorities.

Randle said an Illinois Department of Transportation search today regarding traffic stops involving African-Americans in Danville is telling.

"African-Americans are at least five times stopped more than other subgroups in this community," Randle said.

Randle asked the city for a six-year review, to hire an independent firm, to review data and appoint an independent commission to determine whether race plays a factor in traffic stops.

He asked aldermen to ask the question whether African-Americans are being stopped more based on the percentage of the population in our community.

Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said the city takes complaints seriously and it does everything it can to address citizen concerns. However, he, nor the mayor's office or Human Relations Administrator Sandra Finch had been informed of Cooper's allegations prior to Tuesday.

"We were just notified of this today. We haven't had any opportunity to investigate or assist," Williams said.

Williams too said as a former alderman, Randle knows the procedure in filing a police complaint. No one had spoken with Police Chief Chris Yates about the matter either, Williams said.

Ward 3 Alderwoman Sharon Pickering asked that the city meet with Cooper.

In other public comments, the city council heard from resident Brad Bergman about having the council revisit the city ordinance to allow trailers to be parked in resident's private driveways.

Danville Community Development Administrator Logan Cronk also announced that money is still available for small businesses which lost revenue from COVID-19.

In other business, the council approved:

* A $1 million professional services agreement with the Farnsworth Group Inc. for stormwater management projects.

* A $230,830 professional services agreement with Lochmueller Group for completion of a Vermilion County Safety Action Plan for the Danville Area Transportation Study. The Vermilion County Highway Department will reimburse the city for up to $30,000 for the plan costs.

* The appointments of Zach Gwinn and Sharda Pascal to the Danville Public Library Board; and reappointing Tara Auter to the David S. Palmer Arena board, Marilyn Blanton to the Historic Preservation Commission and Harsha Gurujal to the Vermilion Housing Authority board.

* A five-year subscription for new police officer body-worn cameras and supporting equipment for $35,147 this fiscal year and $33,492 for each of the following four years for 50 Digital Ally body-worn cameras and three body-worn camera docking stations.

* Purchasing 934 N. Gilbert St. for Kirchner Building Center's move for $55,000 from Kent and Joan Janesky.

* Amending the fiscal year 2022-2023 streets budget for salt purchased last year.