DEMOCRACYROCKINGHAM

BUILDINGBRIDGESOFFAIRNESS,UNDERSTANDING,ANDCOOPERATION
LAWENFORCEMENTANDTHECOMMUNITIESTHEYSERVE

COMMUNITYFORUMREPORT

JUNE2015


Contents:

TheProjectTeam

Acknowledgements

ExecutiveSummary&BackgroundNarrative

ObjectivesandMethodology

Results:

LawEnforcement&CommunityLeaders

CommunityDialogue

THEPROJECTTEAM

DebWilliamsMadison,NC

EugeneRussellMayodan,NC

MaileEppersonMadison,NC

PortiaParrisReidsville,NC

Consultant:Dr.DavidCamptEden,NC

PageOne

Acknowledgements:

TheDemocracy Rockingham project team received input andassistancefromlocallaw

enforcement, school administrators, NAACP, youth services representatives, NAMI
representatives and Reverend CharlesMcGathyoftheFirstBaptistChurchofMadison,
NC.

PageTwo

ExecutiveSummary&Background

Democracy Rockingham is a grassroots nonpartisan organization aligned with

Democracy NC. The mission of Democracy NC is to use research, organizing, and
advocacy to increase civic engagement and achieve a government that is truly of, by
andfor thepeople. Thevisionis forpeopletohaveconfidenceintheirpoliticalsystem,
feelownershipof their government, andthat elected officials represent andrespectthe
diversityandinterestsofthepeopletheywereelectedtoserve.

In thewakeoftragicandalarmingandtragiceventsinFerguson,Baltimore,Charleston,
Brooklyn, Boston, and other places, many communities are disturbed about strained
relationships between police andthe communitiesthey serve. In western Rockingham
Countywe haveour own history oftension betweenracial groups, butalonghistoryof
cooperationexists,also. Manycommunitiesacrossthenationandstatehaveheldtown
hallmeetingsandforumstoproactivelyaddressthisissue. TheobjectiveofDemocracy
Rockingham is to domore than just airgrievances.Itis our goaltoestablish anactive
partnership between police and community that will identify challenges, assets, help
create ideas and implement solutions. In this pursuit, the community forum Building
Bridges of Fairness, Understanding and Cooperation: Law Enforcement and the
CommunitiesTheyServewasdeveloped.

PageThree

ObjectivesandMethodology

Objective:
As Democracy Rockingham strives to establish an active partnership between the
policeand thecommunitiesserved, DemocracyRockinghamsobjectivesaretoidentify
challengesandhelpcreateandimplementsolutionsinthefollowingways:

Create andarticulateclear information requeststo localagenciesregardingtheir

services.
Produceusabledataidentifyingpublicperceptions.
Identify challenges regarding people of color and key public agencies serving
them.
Createmomentumforchangeamongpublicagenciesandthepublic.
Reflectmodernmeetingdesignprinciples.
Increase public recognition ofthe importance ofhavingproductiveconversations
acrossdiversegroupsondifficulttopics.

Methodology:
This forum was different from the standard town hall forum where individuals voice a
concern for 3 minutes and rarely receive a response. Also, seldom does everyone
present have the opportunity to actively participate in forum dialogue nor are people
able toengage or participate in thedevelopment ofsolutions. This forum wasbased
on experiencebased dialogue between participants aimed at solutions. Every
participant had multiple chances to weigh in on the issues in different ways. No one
personhadtheabilityto dominate the process. Theresultsfromthisforumweregroup
driven.

Preliminary Finding:Twomeetingswereheld,March2015 andApril2015.Stakeholders

from the community were: the sheriff, police chiefs from each municipality within the
county, crisis intervention representative from Rockingham County Schools, District
Attorney for Rockingham County, Rockingham County Youth Services, National
Alliance onMentalIllness (NAMI)andtheNAACPPresidentEden Branch.(Addendum
4)

Survey: A survey was offered online through the Rockingham Democracy website.
Thisallowedparticipationforthoseunabletoattendtheforuminperson.

Publicity: The forum and survey were promoted through newspaper and radio
announcements, email blasts, social media, mailings to community organizations and
churches. There were also follow up phone calls, news releases, handbills and
interviewonlocalradiowithlive,recordedandworldwidewebbroadcasts.
PageFour

Forum Design: There were twotypes of facilitatorstablefacilitatorsand a largegroup

facilitator. Participants gathered at tables of no more than 8 persons with a table
facilitator for each group. Input was gathered from the entire group by the group
facilitator through the use of individual input devices. Realtime results displayed
immediately on a screen locatedat the front oftheroom allowing eachpersonto view
data. Initial data was gathered and displayed that demonstrated the diversity and
commonalities within the larger group. The table facilitators lead discussions on the
positives and negativesofparticipantspersonalexperienceswithlawenforcement.The
findings were reported to the group facilitator and common themes were recognized.
These themes along withpossiblesolutionsandstrengthbuildingideaswerediscussed
bythe entire group. Pollingcontinued andthemostsignificantconcernsandoutcomes
wereprioritized.

Results: Preliminary Findings, Real TimePoll &Online Survey: (Seeattachedsurvey

spreadsheetAddendum1,2,3)

PageFive

ADDENDUM#1:RESULTSOFPRELIMINARYFINDINGS:

Thegroupfocusedonatwopartquestion:

Whatisbeingdonewell(successes)?
Whataretheopportunities?

Thegroup was askedtoconsiderthesetwo questionsandprovidefeedbacktothecore

groupof forum organizers. Dialogue revealedthatthere weremanysharedsuccesses
amonglawenforcementagenciesinthecounty(includingthemunicipalities).

Successes:

Absenceofpolice/citizenviolentconfrontations
The Rockingham County Sheriff and all five municipalities reported a lack of violent
confrontationsbetweentheirofficersandcitizens.

CIT (crisis intervention training) of all law enforcement, dispatch personnel,

SRO'sandEMSpersonnel
CIT is a training program for law enforcement to teach deescalation techniques to
betterserve citizens withmentalillness ordevelopmentaldisabilities.Thesetechniques
are applicable to all potentially confrontationalsituations.Atthe time of thesefindings,
our county law enforcement and its first responders are state leadersin obtaining this
training.

Policesponsoredcommunityevents
Law enforcement leaders talked about social media outreach, coffee with a cop
programs, presence at town festivals, ridealong program and traditional town halls.
Chief Charles Caruso of Mayodan, shared his successes with a police sponsored,
familyorientedevent.

Opportunities
:

Recruitmentofminorities
Law enforcement shared the difficulties in recruiting minority candidates due to the
limited pool of these individuals and being ableto compete with largerdepartmentsto
hireandretainthem.

RaceRelations/Perception
Lawenforcementvoicedconcernthatnegativeracialexperienceswerecited.
Theywereadamantthattheywantedtoknowofallsuchepisodesandwere
opentocitizensvoicingtheirconcernsdirectly.

Communicationfromlawenforcementtocommunityregarding
policies&initiatives.

OurcountysstatewideleadershipinCrisisInterventionTrainingislargely
unknowntothegeneralpopulation.

OutreachtoHispaniccommunity
Concernwasexpressedthatculturalandlanguagebarriersandperceived
immigrationissuesmaybepreventingthiscommunityfromobtaininglaw
enforcementserviceswhenneeded.

Other community outreach opportunities such as ride alongprograms and coffeesare

not reachingmarginalized communities.Lawenforcementssuccessesneedtobemore
widelyknown.


ADDENDUM #2: FINDINGS FROM COMMUNITYDIALOGUEREAL TIMEPOLL Dr.
DavidCampt(seeseparatepowerpointattachment)

Belowarecrosstabsbyracialgroupofacoupleofthequestionsfromtheforum.It
turnsoutthereweresomeracialdifferencesthatbearnoting.Pleaserememberthatthe
numbersattheforumwererathersmall.(Thetableshavepercentages.)

Howmanytimeshaveyouwitnessedbehaviorbylawenforcementthat
youthoughtwasproblematic?

Lifetime
Last7years

black
white
black
white

Never
11
11
11
56

Onceor
11
36
33
44

twice
Afew
33
11
11
0

times
Several
22
22
22
0

times
More
22
0
22
0

timesthan
Icould
count

Asyouwouldexpect,peoplehaveseenmoresuchincidentsintheirlifethaninthelast
7years.Notethatblackpeoplereporthavingseenmoreproblematicbehaviorsinboth
timeperiodsthantheirwhitecounterparts.

Howmuchtrustdoyouhaveinlawenforcement?

white
black
Trustalot
25
0
Trust
25
11
Moretrustthandistrust
25
22
Equallytrustand
25
33
distrust
Moredistrustthantrust
0
33
Distrust
0
0
Distrustalot
0
0


Note:
Noblackorwhiterespondentsaidthattheydistrustedpoliceordistrustedpolice
alot.
Noblackpersonsaidtheytrustedpolicealot.
Ingeneral,therewasmuchmoreambivalenceaboutthepoliceamongblacks.

ADDENDUM#3:FINDINGSFROMONLINESURVEY

The online survey was offered from 42915 to 61015 with 28 Rockingham county
citizens participating. The survey recording of all responses was inconsistent. Ifless
than70%responseswererecorded,notrendsamonggroupsarecitedinthisreport.

Themajoritywere over 35 years oldwith 50%beingoverfifty. Twothirdswerefemale.

Most were either from Madison or Reidsville. Participants were racially mixed, but
recordedresponseratewas54%.Ofthoseresponses40%werenonwhite.

Of all participants half agreed that they and law enforcementsharedthe same values,
andthat law enforcement wasinterested in theirwell being. Themajority(64%)agreed
thatpolice were doing a goodjob. The majority
(67%)hadnoknowledgeofanyuseof
excessive forcebythe police, some (18%)hadheardof itandonly2reported firsthand
knowledge.Some(39%)believedthatpoliceencounteredproblemsonadailybasis.

When reviewing responses sortedbyrace, moreblacks (66%)thanwhites (13%)report

they have heardaboutthe use of excessiveforce. The majority of blacksand half the
whitesfeelthatacareerinlawenforcementisnotdesirable.

There were only 2 participants under the age of 35. Those between 3650 felt less
assuredthatpolicewereinterestedintheirwellbeingthanthoseover50.

There were 11 participants from Madison. Most (73%) reported that they have no
knowledge of use of excessive force, however the only responses of first hand
knowledge ofexcessive force(2) are from this town. Overall this group feelsthat they
share the same values (54%), that police are interestedin their wellbeing (72%), and
aredoingagoodjob(72%).

Therewere 2 participants from Mayodan. Theyhavenoknowledgeofuseof excessive

force, and strongly agree on sharing the same valuesas police,they are interested in
theirwellbeingandaredoingagoodjob.

Therewere 2 participants from Edenwhohaveheardofuseof excessive force,butno

othertrendsnoted.

Therewere2participantsfromStoneville. Theyhavenoknowledgeofuseofexcessive
force, andagreetheysharethe same values withpolicewhoareinterested intheirwell
being. They strongly agree thatpoliceprovide fair and equal servicesandaredoinga
goodjob.

Therewere 2 participants from Huntsville.Theyhavenoknowledgeofuseofexcessive

force and believe acareer inlawenforcementis desirable. They are neutral infeeling
that police provide equal services in their neighborhood in regards to race. They do
agreethatpoliceareinterestedintheirwellbeingandaredoingagoodjob.

Therewere 8 participants fromReidsville. Most(62%)havenoknowledgeoftheuseof

excessiveforcewithnoothertrendsnoted.

There was one participant from Bethany/Wentworth. She has heard of the use of
excessive force, and agreedthat police share her valuesand are doingagoodjob. All
otherresponseswereneutral.

Participantswho did notbelievelawenforcementprovidedfairandequalservices,were

also unsatisfiedwith equalservicesintheirneighborhood(100%)anddidnotfeelpolice
participated in nonenforcement activities in high risk neighborhoods (neutral or
negative 100%). They did however agree that police shared their values (100%)and
weredoingagood job(100%). Thissubgroupwhile small (3) ismixedinage,sexand
location.

Overallthemajorityofparticipantshavenoknowledgeoftheuseofexcessiveforceand
believelawenforcementisdoingagoodjob. Halfofthetotalgroupfeelstheysharethe
same values with police and they are interested in their well being.Significantly more
blacks than whites report knowledge of the use of excessive force. Those who feel
policedonotprovide fairand equal services, do feel morestronglythanthetotalgroup
thatthey doagoodjobandthattheysharethesamevalues. This couldbeinterpreted
as a strong basis for community policing of areas that feel marginalized to further
strengthenlawenforcementandcommunityrelationships.


ADDENDUM#4

FactFindingParticipants

LawEnforcement:

ChiefReecePrytle
EdenPolice

ChiefMikeRutherford
MadisonPolice

ChiefCharlesCaruso
MayodanPolice

ChiefRobertHassell
ReidsvillePolice

ChiefFrankMoore
StonevillePolice

SheriffSamPage
RockinghamCountySheriffDepartment

Mr.CraigBlitzer
RockinghamCountyDistrictAttorney

CommunityPartners:
MalcolmAllen
NAACPPresident,EdenBranch

DianeJohnson
NAMI

VanessaJennings,
NAMI

StephanieAustin
CrisisInterventionSpecialist
RockinghamCountySchools

PatriciaLowe
Coordinator,
YouthServicesofRockinghamCounty


Alawenforcementofficerhasapositionofauthorityandisheldtoahigherstandard
withintheirrespectedcommunity.TheChiefofPolicebearstheprimaryresponsibility
forthedepartmentshonesty,integrityandcompetence.Thefoundationofcommunity
trustmustbebuiltonapoliceculturethatvaluesintegrityandholdsemployees
accountablefortheiractions.

ChiefMikeRutherford,MadisonPoliceDepartment

Ifpeoplearebeingtreateddisrespectfully,Iwanttoknow.Ihopepeoplecometell
me.

ChiefJamesCaruso,MayodanPoliceDepartment

Wewillstillcontinuetostrivetodoourverybesttoprotectandserveallpersonsliving
inourcountyregardlessofhowtoughthebudgetgets.

SheriffSamPage,RockinghamCountySheriffsDepartment