Roiled by a Police Killing, Department Tries to Rebound - cut down traffic stops, hired more blacks

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

Roiled by a Police Killing, One Department Tries to Rebound
After an officer shot Walter Scott to death in 2015, the North Charleston Police Department hired more Black officers and cut down on traffic stops.


Chief Reggie Burgess of the North Charleston Police began his career as a patrolman in 1989. He is now considering running for mayor. Credit...Audra Melton for The New York Times



When Walter Scott, an unarmed Black man, was killed by a police officer in North Charleston, S.C., during a routine traffic stop, the city spun into what is now predictable turmoil: Video of the horrific shooting was everywhere. There were protests, accusations of racist and aggressive policing, demands for reform, and distraught family members speaking out, often flanked by civil rights leaders.

That was almost eight years ago. Since then, the police officer who shot Mr. Scott has been convicted on a federal civil rights charge and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The city paid a $6.5 million settlement to Mr. Scott’s family. The 355-member police force has become significantly more diverse, with 69 Black officers hired since 2018. The force is now led by its first African American chief, who invites Mr. Scott’s brother to talk to new recruits.

And yet, Mr. Scott’s death still casts a long shadow over North Charleston, the state’s third-largest city with a population of about 117,000 and nearly equal numbers of Black and white residents. Next week, the police chief will attend a major public gathering to answer lingering questions about racial disparities in policing.


https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/us/north-charleston-police-killing.html

[betsuni]

1. I hate hearing people insisting that reforms don't work. Of course they can work!