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From the pages of history to today’s headlines, the relationship between the African American community and the police has been an antagonistic one, according to Timothy Lewis, PhD, assistant professor in the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Department of Political Science. Lewis, who specializes in identity politics, coordinated and moderated “Black and Blue: A Panel Discussion on Relational Policing in the African American Community.” 

The discussion, held Wednesday, Feb. 19 in the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, featured St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell, Senior U.S. Probation Officer Demetrius Hatley, Belleville Attorney Joslyn Sandifer, and SIUE political science and philosophy major Hayley Smith. 

Panel members were asked to weigh in on a series of questions. The first query was: “As a person of color, do you fear having an interaction with a police officer, such as a traffic stop. If so, why?” 

“I’m a perfect case study for this question,” said Bell. “My father is a retired police officer in Atlanta, and when I went to visit him, I had no fear of being pulled over. But I grew up in St. Louis, and I did have trepidation when I got pulled over. As a young black man, I was searched and sat down on the curb while the car was being searched so much, until I thought it was normal.” 

“There are a significant number of police officers who do the right thing every single day,” said Hatley. “But there is a small percentage of police officers who don’t. I’m not fearful of having an interaction with a police officer, but when I’m stopped I am concerned and my awareness goes up.  

“I have been a federal officer for 12 years, and during that time I have been stopped 14 times. I’ve been stopped three times while on duty and 11 times on my own time. I have only been stopped by white male police officers.” 

“My feelings depend on how curly I’m wearing my hair that day,” said Sandifer. “If I’m out on a Saturday and am not suited and booted, then it will color my feelings. I’m conscious of where my hands are and of my posture. If I’m coming from court, am dressed and have my hair pulled back, I feel a lot less apprehensive about the narrative of how I look.” 

The speakers were also asked: “In your opinion, has social media hurt or helped relationships between African Americans and the police?” 

“Social is not the crux of the problem between African Americans and the police, but the problems stem from history and people having preconceived ideas about each other,” said Smith. 

 “It has helped and hurt,” said Hatley. “Posting on social has forced some police agencies to change their policies and to hold officers accountable. Social media has been responsible for creating a 21st Century Policing Task Force, and some of the videos have led to the successful prosecution of bad police officers.  

“At the same time, it has hurt relationships and interaction with police officers. When you see certain videos that appear that a police officer is causing harm or is disrespecting an African American, it creates an emotional reaction within you. Those reactions can make you feel like ‘I hate police officers.’”  

Then Lewis asked the questions: “What are some day-to-day changes police officers can employ to improve relationships between themselves and citizens, particularly African Americans? What changes can citizens employ to improve their relationships between themselves and police officers?” 

“I’m a big advocate for community policing,” responded Bell. “It is not just showing up for a school event and talking to kids. It’s about information going two ways. We have to get collective buy-in from the community. Then couple that with police getting out of their cars and talking to people. That’s when you start building trust.” 

“Community policing is not anything new. Get beat cops. That’s an easy move,” remarked Sandifer. “The reality is that they used to do it in certain communities. On the other side, my suggestion is to educate yourself. Police are allowed to get demographic information from you. Know what you can and cannot do. It will make your interaction with police a little less stressful, because you will have an idea of what the interaction should look like. That will empower you.” 

The final question: “A Rutgers-Newark study shows that police use of force is a leading cause of death for black men, more so than any other race, gender or group. What is your reaction to the study?” 

“It’s worrisome, but I’m not super surprised,” said Smith. “I had a 14-year-old cousin who was hauled off in a police car for having a BB gun. He was interrogated in a room, and the police would not wait for his parents to arrive. They were shocked when they heard it wasn’t a real gun. After checking it, they said he was free to go.” 

“I would say it is a destructive and tragic symptom of a much larger sickness, if you will,” said Bell. “This is an American issue that needs to be addressed holistically, and not just looked at as ‘their’ problem. We need systemic, cultural change throughout society. Until we start addressing the root cause, we will just be spinning our wheels.” 

“We should look at it like dealing with a plague or epidemic,” added Sandifer. “If this were high blood pressure, heart disease or cancer, we would look at it more urgently. One feeling is that black men are contributing to their own demise, as in the crack epidemic in the 1980s. But now we understand that being addicted to opioids or other drugs can create circumstances that can be out of a person’s control. We need to look at it like a healthcare problem, because it is.” 

Photos:
L-R: St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell and Timothy Lewis, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science. 

Panelists from left to right: Hayley Smith, SIUE political science and philosophy major; Joslyn Sandifer, Belleville attorney; Demetrius Hatley, senior U.S. probation officer; and Wesley Bell, St. Louis County prosecutor.