The Chattanooga chapter of the NAACP released a report this week that calls for police diversity and sensitivity to be an annual budget item.
The study, begun last year after police shot a man and a 15-year-old boy to death in separate incidents, also states that more officers should be hired to reduce violence and that police should be banned from using excessive force.
“Not a month goes by that we don’t get a complaint from someone about police using excessive force,” said Valoria Armstrong, president of the NAACP.
Chapter officials want to present the findings to the City Council within the next few weeks.
City Councilman Peter Murphy said he is “excited to see the vigorous support the organization has for stepping up the police’s role and responsibilities,”
The police department is understaffed by at least 50 police officers, according to the study.
Interim Police Chief Mark Rawlston said the department “wholeheartedly” agrees with an increase in budget and hiring suggested by the study.
The mayor’s office and City Council have also indicated support for such increases, he said.
Retired city police officer Napoleon Williams and City Councilmen Andraé McGary and Russell Gilbert assisted NAACP officials in gathering information for the study.
There has been no police academy to train new officers in about two years, said Mr. Williams, a retired chief of police at Chattanooga State Community College.
Mr. Murphy said Mayor Ron Littlefield already is working on getting more sworn police officers. The mayor’s proposed budget for the new fiscal year requests at least two full new cadet classes for the police department, which would net about 50 additional police officers, he said.
Next year’s budget, he said, likely would not be approved before late summer.
NAACP officials started the study in November 2009, four months after Chattanooga Housing Authority police shot 15-year-old Alonzo O’Kelley to death on July 1 and city police officers shot and killed 32-year-old Alonzo Heyward on July 18.
Chief Rawlston said diversity and sensitivity training already is taking place.
“All of our officers have undergone sensitivity training, diversity training, conflict-resolution training, roll call bulletins on racial profiling, crisis intervention training, ethics training, use of force training,” he said
PDF: Hamilton County NAACP WHAT’S NEXTThe NAACP will host its next meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Glenwood Recreation Center.
The ultimate goal of the study is to curtail violence and excessive police force, NAACP officials said.
“It doesn’t take five or six officers to make an arrest,” Mr. Williams said.
He said sensitivity training will help police officers better communicate with residents.
“The community can’t be down there and police officers up here,” Mr. Williams said. “They have to meet on a level plain to communicate.”
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