WARREN

WARREN
Race relations
The city, U.S. Justice Department and Warren Minority Coalition have been meeting behind closed doors to identify concerns and find solutions to problems between the city and the black community. Findings include:
The city employs few black police officers and firefighters. A committee will be formed to recruit more minorities and women throughout the state, and brochures will be sent out.
Friction exists between police and blacks, and it seems the same officers are involved in allegations of mistreatment.
The community needs to be educated on how to react and what to do when approached by police.
Minorities are scared to file complaints against police for fear of retaliation. The city needs to find a way to ease that fear.
Suggestions from police officers include the formation of a citizens police academy to educate the public on police procedure.
Officers want to put together a program to educate students on what to do and what not to do in certain situations.
The city needs to address racial profiling. Complaints are being investigated.
Police have offered members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People the chance to ride along with officers of their choice.
The city needs to identify the number of complaints made against certain departments by minorities.
NAACP and the city will produce an educational brochure outlining the complaint procedure and distribute it to the community.
The safety-service director will give public presentations to organizations to bridge the lines of communication between the NAACP and the city.
Police Chief John Mandopoulos suggested the NAACP, the public and other organizations come to him first before lodging police brutality complaints during the public speaking portion of city council meetings.
Source: U.S. Justice Department