On the eve of the latest protest by residents of Spokane City and County to demand police accountability and after several articles by the Spokesman about the issues surrounding police misconduct in Spokane, we can not help but wonder when the city and the mayor will get the message that only REAL reform will be accepted by the people!
Even after the news about Spokane Police Officer Thompson’s indictment by the Attorney General’s office came out, the city continues to defend its police officers and hold its defensive position in opposition to the community. Spokane is clearly in need of not only real oversight and accountability of our police force, but also in need of a reality check. The same old tactics are not going to work this time. To build real trust the city must make real efforts to earn that trust.
Building real trust means admitting wrongdoing and attempting to right it. It also means listening to the community and acting in cooperation with them. The city and the mayor have two choices, to work with the residents of the city and county, working towards a relationship of trust and goodwill, or they can wall themselves off, in such a defensive posture that the people can only assume they are hiding the truth and defending wrongdoing.
To watch the tape of the confrontation between Thompson and Zehm is to learn to fear police officers. Beating a defenseless man who was only buying a soda, is wrong, and a crime, no matter who you are. That the city defends it is appalling. The community also responded with fear and outrage after the acquittal of Olsen who shot Shonto Pete. Many in the community are afraid of police officers now. And that is the city’s problem to fix.
They have tried to fix it with an ombudsman without the power to complete independent investigations. Some think that the position is better than nothing. But the people in Spokane have demanded more. We want that clear gesture of goodwill by our Mayor and Police department. Make a better choice Mayor Verner, renegotiate the contract for the ombudsman so that it includes independent investigative authority. Earn our respect and trust on this issue.
Tomorrow VOICES will join many others in demanding that the Mayor and the city respond to our demands. Please join us.
