By WIBW's Kimberly Donahue
MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - Conversations about create fairer policing within the Riley Co. Police Department (RCPD) date back to 2015.
Talks reignited in late 2019 when Dr. Lorenza Lockett of the Manhattan-Riley County Coalition for Equal Justice (CEJ) approached Captain Josh Kyle about racial disparities in arrest rates in late 2019
“Typically, partnerships like this form after something bad happens,” explained Kyle.
“This one, we were very proactive with and decided it was in our best interest for those concerned about social justice and those within the police department to make recommendations.”
“We’re not speaking against RCPD, we’re speaking in conjunction with RCPD based on what we’ve been told are experienced by members of the community,” Lockett said.
“So it’s about relationship building where you can talk very candidly sweeten the pot say things in a nice way but make sure things can carry the weight that it carries.”
The two organizations decided to work together to work on more equitable policing, forming the Fair and Impartial Policing Working Group.
Monday the group presented their recommendations to the Riley County Police Department Director Dennis Butler to create a more equitable department.
The recommendations are rooted in seven areas of intervention: recruiting, policies, training, leadership accountability, measurements and promoting the FIP group.
Suggestions include increasing funding for community policing and improving police training.
“They’re a work in progress but a lot of what we’re working with come from stories so not just statistics what the community of Manhattan has experienced of individual people who are unsatisfied or scared to come out about the concerns they had,” Lockett said.
Kyle believes the suggestions balance fair policing and community safety.
“We’re an intelligence-led and evidence-based police department that had a little bit of community policing sprinkled in and one of the major recommendations is that community policing needs to become a bigger part of what we do,” he said.
“I believe we can do both, we don’t have to be one or the other you can address crime in an evidence-based fashion while at the same time investing and being part of the community.”
Butler said he thinks the conversations are a move in the right direction.
“A lot of those recommendations are things we’re already working on or I agree with entirely that I think are good recommendations,” he said.
“I’m glad we’re having a meeting of the minds that we’re seeing things the same way.”
FIP members said relationship-building will be key.
“The more contact that people have, the less likely that they’re going to rely on biases in how they think and interact with people and the other thing is counter stereotypes are very important as well,” Kyle said.
“The more people that are encountered into the stereotype that you typically hold The more positive your relationships are going to be.”
“If we can build relationships we can talk about anything if we can respect each other and can appreciate our differences our point of views and what we can find in common,” Lockett added.
Click here to read the FIP’s recommendations.
To contact the group email [email protected] or [email protected].