By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green citizens want to make sure the nation’s focus on policing goes beyond this moment to become a movement.
“The message has been loud and clear. We need to listen,” Not In Our Town co-chair Emily Dunipace said about the racial injustice that many Americans are just waking up to.
Dawn Shinew, the other NIOT co-chair, acknowledged the frustration felt by those who have been aware – and ignored.
“People have been saying this, and feel nobody’s listening,” she said.
But on Wednesday evening, more than 100 people in Bowling Green were listening to members of the black community and local law enforcement leaders as they discussed some uncomfortable topics.
They talked about training, implicit bias, mental health issues – and the need to continue these type of conversations.
Following were some of the topics addressed:
Community relations
Bowling Green Police Chief Tony Hetrick, BGSU Police Chief Mike Campbell and Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn were all asked about efforts to create a relationship with community members before a crisis occurs.
They listed off events like “Coffee with Cops,” “Pizza with Public Safety” and a kickball tournament on campus.
Anthony King, who helped organize the peaceful protest and Juneteenth celebration in Bowling Green, suggested that wasn’t enough.
“Black university students aren’t going to want to go to coffee with a cop,” he said.
Atonn Smeltzer, who also helped organize both recent events, suggested that a barbecue be held with officers serving up the food, so people would be “breaking bread and sharing conversation.”
Smeltzer reminded the law enforcement officials that some students may come to BGSU saddled with bad experiences in other communities. And King suggested that the police consider establishing a community liaison for people of color.
Training of officers
The three law enforcement officials said their officers must complete 650 hours of training, in addition to months of field training, and specialized courses on such issues as de-escalation and crisis intervention.
King asked about the upcoming training being hosted by BGPD from the Force Science Institute. He said OSU police recently canceled a training because of the firm’s poor reputation.
Hetrick said the training, planned in September, is on de-escalation. He also noted that Force Science Institute is a nationally certified program, endorsed by the Department of Justice.
However, moderator Phil Stinson, a criminal justice professor at BGSU, said the trainings offered by Force Science Institute have been criticized as lacking in science.
“Could you commit to looking further into their reputation and their work?” Stinson asked the chief.
Hetrick said BGPD has committed to hosting the training, and will be sending two of its training officers to the program at no charge.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to use what they give us,” he said.
“We want to take a look at it,” and see if it fits with BGPD, Hetrick said.
King said cancellation of the training would be an “amazing show of solidarity” with the African American community.
But Hetrick said BGPD would go forward with the training.
“I’m not going to cancel the training,” he said. “We’re committed to do this training, and we’re going to go through with it.”
Body cameras
The law enforcement officials were asked about the importance of body cameras, considering the high costs for the equipment, cloud storage and redacting in preparation for use in court.
Wasylyshyn said the sheriff’s office got body cameras seven years ago.
“I’m a big believer in the transparency of what we do,” he said, adding that his deputies like the cameras as a record of their interactions.
“They understand the importance of showing that they are doing the right thing,” the sheriff said.
Campbell said BGSU officers are also equipped with body cameras.
Hetrick said he BGPD has had dash cams for more than 20 years, and he would like his officers to have body cameras.
“I’m all for body-worn cameras,” he said.
However, the estimated $100,000 cost to outfit all the officers, plus another $25,000 for storage and data redaction, has been a deterrent. But efforts are underway to find funding for body cameras, he said.
Mental health
When asked about responsibilities placed on law enforcement that could be better handled by others, all three talked about mental health needs being shifted to them.
Wasylyshyn talked about jails being a place now where people with substance abuse or mental health issues end up.
“We are the number one mental health provider in the country,” he said. “That’s wrong.”
The sheriff estimated that 90% of inmates in the jail have some type of mental health or substance abuse problems.
“Our society has decided the jail is the place for people to detox,” he said.
Hetrick said he could remember decades ago when police would sometimes take people with mental health problems and drop them off in the next county or city.
“We decided that wasn’t going to happen anymore,” he said.
Officers get extensive crisis intervention training, and Unison mental health service now comes to the scene, so officers don’t have to take people to jail just because they have a mental health problem.
“We have evolved in that way,” Hetrick said.
Campbell talked about the range of mental health issues that officers deal with at BGSU, and the existence of the on-campus counseling center.
But King questioned the location of the counseling center – in the same building as the police department.
“I’ve heard that from others,” Campbell said. “You have to walk past our dispatch window to get to the counseling center.”
Diversifying the ranks
The law enforcement officials were asked about the lack of black police officers locally.
“No black officers are going to want to come” to a community that does not seem inclusive, King said.
And no one would want to be a “token” black on a police force, said Toni Gordon, BGSU assistant director of Diversity Education and Retention Initiatives.
“They want to be welcomed,” she said.
Are departments monitoring for officers involved in white supremacy groups
BGPD tracks complaints about officers, plus monitors behavioral issues, Hetrick said. Bowling Green is a small enough community that he would know if an officer was involved in a racist group.
Wasylyshyn agreed.
“We would know,” he said, noting the easy process for citizens to file complaints, and the follow up done by the sheriff’s office.
Checking for implicit bias
“There’s no perfect system,” Wasylyshyn said. The sheriff’s office tracks the perceptions of deputies about those they are pulling over.
“Do we have anyone stopping people of color more than they should be?” the sheriff asked. The statistics should reveal that if it exists, but it’s not a flawless process, he said.
BGPD catalogues each stop, Hetrick said. But the problem is, the police division is working with 2010 census numbers. According to those figures, the population served by BGPD is approximately 88% white, 6% black and 6% Hispanic.
However, the census numbers don’t reflect the transient population at BGSU, where many students don’t complete the census forms. Being a college town, the city also sees a lot of out-of-town visitors to downtown bars, sporting and cultural events.
King asked about the disparity between the census data and the records for each stop, with the number of black people being stopped greater than the 6% census number.
Hetrick agreed it would be helpful to have a better data.
“I think there’s room for improvement, and it’s something we can work on,” he said.
BGPD officers stop people based on behaviors – not race, Hetrick said.
“We’re not seeing there is actually any intent by any officer” to stop people based on their race, he said.
“It should never be based on race,” Hetrick said.
But Gordon said the numbers show unchecked bias – though it may not be intentional.
Hetrick said he was open to suggestions on how to determine if the data is being read properly.
Now what?
Not In Our Town members said they are committed to continuing the conversation. And community leaders agreed.
“I want to listen. I want to learn,” Mayor Mike Aspacher said.
BGSU President Rodney Rogers said he was committed to “making sure that we find a way to be better.”
“We must find a way forward and make sure this is not just a moment – but a movement,” Rogers said.
And BGSU Provost Joe Whitehead said the community must work together.
“If we’re divided, we won’t be successful,” he said.
Smeltzer suggested that white allies need to get to work.
“It’s not enough to be not racist. We have to be anti-racist,” he said. “White people have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
