Stark County NAACP sounds alarm for police reform

Hector McDaniel
·4 min read
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Protesters in downtown Canton gather in the days after George Floyd's death.
Protesters in downtown Canton gather in the days after George Floyd's death.

Given the growing list of recent tragedies across our country, and our community the Stark County NAACP joins in sounding the alarm for ongoing police reform locally and nationally.

Nationally, we join with activists, politicians, and law enforcement experts who urge the passing of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This law would set up a national registry of police misconduct, ban religious and racial profiling, overhaul ”qualified immunity,” and allow individuals to recover damages in civil court when law enforcement officers violate their constitutional rights.

This law also bans chokeholds, no-knock warrants, and affirms that deadly force is used only as a last resort.

Stark County NAACP President Hector McDaniel is seeking to restore the local chapter's history and make the organization more diverse, like its origins. Tuesday, February 14, 2023.
Stark County NAACP President Hector McDaniel is seeking to restore the local chapter's history and make the organization more diverse, like its origins. Tuesday, February 14, 2023.

NAACP news:'It's not a Black organization.' Stark NAACP seeks to return to its diverse roots

The NAACP affirms our commitment to positive beginnings for changing the landscape of our community, and we are challenging change by putting forth recommendations for developing pathways for healthier and equitable community.

In June 2020, Mayor Thomas Bernabei signed an Obama Foundation pledge to reform police use of force policies and endorsed the 8 Can’t Wait campaign.

The Canton City Police Department to date complies with the 8 Can’t Wait campaign, and the Stark County NAACP applauds the city's efforts. However, these policies are a floor and not the ceiling to reform.

Mayor Bernabei shared that there is a constant need to re-examine policies and practices. The mayor also promised to review use of force policies with community input, report findings to the public and reform policies.

Stark NAACP believes reform should be organic, and continually growing, moving the hands of justice toward the goal of equality. Changing the culture of a police department and a community takes a strategic plan with specific focus on establishing, building, and fostering trust.

The core tenet of security and safety are service to and protection of the greater community. The core tenets of police reform are shared dialogue, transparency and effective mutual change. A community that falters at respect and trust with law enforcement will fail at growing healthy relationships among community, police and local government.

A thorough examination of cities, like New York, reveal the lowest crime rate since World War II; New Haven Connecticut, the lowest in 50 years; and Camden New Jersey, which at one time was one of the deadliest cities in America.

Community policing is a integral component of addressing crime, that includes police officers internalizing positive training goals that prioritize everyone making it home safe, that the next stop can involve that young person becoming the next mayor, judge, lawyer, a husband, father, mother etc. …

Officers must invest themselves in community after 9 to 5, by walking neighborhoods, knocking on doors, and participating in community events as citizens while maintaining the goal to protect and serve.

Officers must accept increased accountability, transparency and presence in the community to gain respect and trust.

The Stark County NAACP remains diligent in urging police reform in the Canton community, and respectfully puts forth the following recommendations:

  • An independent review of all Canton police policies that allow the use of deadly force.

  • Expand the role of the Community Relations Commission to include review/recommendations pertaining to police policies, procedures, training operations, and the use of force policy.

  • Recruitment of two community leaders to the Internal Use of Force Review Board to aid in trust and transparency.

  • Develop and require continuous anti-bias training.

  • End and permanently ban all iterations of racial profiling and “stop and frisk “policies.

  • Require comprehensive reporting of all events where force is used.

  • Review hiring policies for a more diverse and inclusive force that mirrors community demographics.

  • Create mandatory time off policies, consistent with psychological recommendations for officers involved in both use of force and shooting incidents.

  • Provide initial and ongoing training in conflict de-escalation and restorative justice processes.

  • Create a use of force continuum to regulate further and restrict escalations of force for certain offense or methods of resistance.

  • Exhaust all other means before escalating to shoot or the use of lethal force.

The Stark County NAACP firmly believes that the steps we have outlined are essential to building a framework for police reform and gravely important to our community. If we are to experience communal growth and positive social change, vigilance to truth and justice must be our only mission.

Hector McDaniel is the president of the Stark County NAACP.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County NAACP sounds alarm for police reform