By Litho Freeman
“It’s an important issue and it’s a nation-wide issue, and we felt that it was necessary to present something to our students about police reform and the police relations with the community, said Jack Hagan, Student Media Coordinator here at Tri-C.
On Tuesday, October 27th Tri-C is holding a panel discussion in the Metropolitan campus auditorium from 1 until 2:30 p.m. Behind the Headlines, Police Reform: The Challenge Ahead aims to address the upcoming challenges Cleveland faces as the city implements important reforms in the approach of law enforcement with the neighborhoods they serve.
This discussion comes at a pivotal moment for Cleveland, after a bloody summer, the city ended the month of September with 20 homicides, the most bloodshed since 2010; leaving the streets littered with deflated balloons, washed-out posters, and water damaged stuffed animal to guard the soul of the fallen. The larger portion of these murders were carried out by civilians; causing concern as to how the police would face such a dire climate.
However, just as in other cases from around America over the years, some of the city’s homicides were at the hands of law enforcement. On May 26th 2015, the city of Cleveland’s Justice Department announced the signing of the consent decree with the US Department of Justice. “It basically recognizes that the Cleveland Police Department has some problem, so now they’re setting up the commission that is going to look into how to address these problems,” said Hagan.
The Behind the Headlines discussion panel will look at the breakdown between the community and the police and how both sides can come together towards the common goal of peace in the Cleveland community.
Jennifer Keirn, Board member of the Cleveland Press Club will moderate the panel that includes the president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, Steve Loomis; Civil Rights lawyer Terry Gilbert; Nina Turner, an assistant professor at Tri-C and Rhonda Williams, Associated Professor At Case Western Reserve University.
The event is open to the free and open to the public. Attendee will have the opportunity to submit questions to panelist at the close of the discussion.
- Tags: jack hagan, Litho Freeman, metro, Police Reform
