With one investigation into the July 2016 shooting death of Alton Sterling by the U.S. Department of Justice over and another by the Louisiana Attorney General and State Police beginning, Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister says our community and the Baton Rouge Police Department will continue to be under the microscope.
“Thus far, Baton Rouge had remained calm. That’s testament to the leadership of Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, who had been preparing for the DOJ announcement with many stakeholders (including the governor, pastors, community leaders and law enforcement) and was out in front of the news, reassuring the public,” McCollister writes in his latest column. “It’s also a testament to the family of Alton Sterling, which, despite being angry with the decision of the DOJ (and the way it was leaked), stressed forgiveness, trusting God and remaining peaceful.”
McCollister notes that information has been revealed about the behavior and threatening language of officer Blane Salamoni on the night Sterling died, adding more details—along with additional video and audio—will eventually be available for the world to see. People will draw their own conclusions about the officers and BRPD, he says.
“Many minds are already made up, and I doubt anything they see or hear will change them,” McCollister writes. “But I do predict that as the people become aware of the details, they will expect changes.”
That reality, along with a new mayor and, ultimately, a new police chief, is sure to lead to reform in BRPD, McCollister says.
“And that could be long overdue, since the unions have run the department for years and the status quo has long reigned,” he adds.
McCollister acknowledges that police officers have a very difficult job, adding he believes most do a good job of serving the public. Still, there is room for improvement and a need for change.
“I have said before, in any profession, company or organization, there can be a few ‘bad apples’ that spoil the bunch. BRPD is no exception,” he writes. “What is the answer? New policies? New training methods? Body cameras? A new police chief? (Broome and the Metro Council have already approved some new policies and the purchase of body cameras.) Or is firing some of the ‘bad apples’ part of the answer?”
The later option won’t be easy, McCollister says.
“Tossing the ‘bad apples’ rarely happens due to the power of the police union and the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board,” he writes. “They make the rules, and protect their members and the status quo they created. Seldom has a chief fired anyone without it getting reversed by the Civil Service Board. Many have tried. It must be changed as part of the reforms proposed.”
After the tragedies of 2016—and a federal and state investigation, regardless of the outcome—reform must happen this time, McCollister says.
“What that will look like, I don’t know. Whatever it is, public safety and respect for all citizens, as well as respect for law enforcement, must be the top priorities,” he writes. “This is an important step toward healing our community and avoiding such pain in the future.”
Read the full column, in which McCollister also congratulates the nine women honored as Business Report’s 2017 Influential Women in Business, and pays tribute to the most influential woman in his life—his mother, Dot McCollister, who passed away on Easter Sunday. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
