Sanders encouraged an open and honest dialogue at the meeting.
Senator James Sanders Jr. (D-Rochdale
Village) hosted a Stop the Violence Community Meeting on Thursday evening
in Far Rockaway to discuss the recent civilian shootings by police which took
place in Minnesota and Louisiana. The event was aimed at bringing the community
together, allowing residents to vent their frustrations and giving attendees
the opportunity to propose changes that they would like to see implemented.
“The police are not the problem,”
Sanders said. “The police are a symptom of the problem. The problem is
systemic. It’s a system that promotes aggressive policing rather than community
policing, and until you change that system, we are going to continue to have
these same discussions.”
Sanders has vehemently condemned the
assassination of five police officers in Dallas and three in Baton
Rouge, whom were allegedly targeted in retaliation for the shooting deaths
of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.
The overall consensus at the meeting was
that not all police are bad or racist and should not be viewed as such, just as
not all members of minority communities are violent or criminals. Many said
they believed a greater understanding and mutual respect by both sides is
needed moving forward. There were also a number of suggestions regarding what
other improvements could be made.
On the law enforcement side, proposals
included providing incentives for police to live in the communities where they
work, so that they could have a more personal relationship with residents;
bringing back the beat cop style of community policing as a way of breaking
down barriers; and increasing accountability and punishment for officers who
break the law as well as for officers who witness the illegal activity and fail
to report it.
On the community side, some advocated
for more anti-violence and youth programming as a way to reduce crime in the
neighborhood, thereby requiring less police presence while others called for
increasing community attendance at Precinct Community Council meetings, so that
policing issues could be reported immediately and directly to the commanding
officer or community affairs unit.
Sanders' meeting was attended by area
residents as well as community and civic leaders. It took place at the office
of the Rockaway Youth Task Force, who also co-sponsored the event along with
the 101st Precinct Community Council and Rock Safe Streets. It was the second
such discussion hosted by Sanders in response to the shooting deaths of
Philando Castile and Alton Sterling by police officers. The first meeting was
held in Jamaica on July 9, 2016.
Source: The Office of Senator James Sanders, Jr.
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