NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Community members, religious leaders, police and city leaders came together in New Haven for a conversation about policing and criminal justice reform.
Residents and local reverends are calling for accountability and changes in the way officers treat people.
“Here we are today coming together to deal with what we feel has become a sore in our community on two ends: policing and our own problem of shooting and killing each other,” Rev. Dr. Boise Kimber, President of the Greater New Haven Clergy Association said.
The Greater New Haven Clergy Association invited police chiefs, mayors and religious leaders from New Haven and Hamden to the table Monday evening to have a conversation with the community.
This comes in the wake of the serious injury of 36-year-old Randy Cox while in police custody.
“Give voice to people during the process. If I say my neck hurts, guess what my neck hurts,” said Rev. Kelcy Steele of A.M.E. Zion Church.
“What happened to Richard Randy Cox was wrong, absolutely wrong. I watched the video over 30 times. I visited Mr. Cox in the hospital,” Police Chief Karl Jacobson. “I’m gonna make it right.”
Among the calls for change: accountability, use-of-force reforms, de-escalation training, and more black officers in leadership roles.
“The only way to really effectively implement change and to reimagine a new future is to continue to have collective conversations,” said Rev. Daniel Bland from Revival Church.
The meeting also gave police and city leaders the opportunity to share their vision moving forward.
“I want to make sure that we treat everybody in the city of new haven in the same way. Fair and equal,” Jacobson said.
Residents also asked questions to the invited speakers on topics from wrongful convictions to racial profiling and police treatment of people who are arrested.
"We've had body cameras on officers since 2016...We're going to begin random checks of every interaction," said Jacobson. "We’re not just going to slap them on the wrist and keep moving. We're going to put them with people who do it right, teach them better and if they don't learn better then we're going to fire them."
Kimber said the Greater New Haven Clergy Association is planning to hold another meeting of this kind in the future.
Elisha Machado is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emachado@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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