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NIAGARA FALLS: Sparks fly at cop talk
The flier announcing the community meeting billed it as a chance to “talk about” how to “avoid trouble with the police.”
Yet for two hours Thursday night, it was a panel of local, county and state law enforcement officials who appeared to be on the hot seat as residents of the Falls’ North End peppered the police officers with pointed questions about everything from the lack of minority and women officers to allegations of police brutality.
The forum was sponsored by the Falls chapter of the NAACP and moderated by chapter President Ron Cunningham. Cunningham said the idea behind the was to start a “conversation” between the police and the city’s minority community.
However, Niagara Country Legislator and community activist Renae Kimble set a tense tone early when she pointedly asked Falls Police Superintendent John Chella, “What are you doing to quell excessive force by police? What is going to be done to stop police brutality?”
Kimble cited an incident where a Falls woman suffered a fractured skull after she fought with police during a domestic violence investigation. Jaquinda Coleman faces disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges and has filed notice that she plans to sue the city.
Chella responded by pointing out the department investigates complaints of excessive use of force. He also said Coleman had never filed a complaint with police.
“I am trying to be as aggressive as I can in taking complaints,” Chella said. “Why would I tolerate police brutality? I investigate it.”
Still, Kimble’s complaints seemed to resonate with the audience, which ranged from 92-year-old Daisy Williams all the way to 15-year-old Almaud Sager and his friend, 18-year-old Daniel Brinson. Both Sager and Brinson said they agreed with some of Kimble’s charges.
“(Kimble) brought up a lot of good points,” Brinson said, “like the harassment (by police). We can be just walking down the street and they (police) just jump out and say we’re a gang or selling dope.”
Williams, who said she moved to the Falls from the “deep south,” said she believes relations between police and the community here are worse than in the south.
Gloria Dolson echoed that feeling, telling local police brass even routine traffic stops can turn confrontational.
“We know how to talk when you stop us,” Dolson said. “We don’t get a chance to talk. If we understood that people are people and we just treated people like we want to be treated, we’d be fine.”
All the panel members, Chella, Niagara County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Jim Voutour and New York State Police Captain Craig Haynesworth agreed their agencies need to work even harder increase diversity.
“I believe a police force should look like the population it protects,” Chella said. “And we (Falls Police) don’t.”
Cunningham said he wants to use the issues raised at the forum as a way to create an on-going conversation with the police agencies.
“We’ll come together, we’ll talk and we’ll find solutions,” Cunningham said.
Contact reporter Rick Pfeifferat 282-2311, ext. 2252.
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