Here was a white police chief in a city that is largely black, known for violence, standing with the protestors. And in Richmond, in response, two things happened: The Richmond Police Officers Association accused the chief of breaking the law by making a political statement while in uniform; and Richmond residents rallied around Magnus. At a recent city council meeting dozens of residents decried the union’s accusation. “Standing up for the lives of citizens in this community as a law enforcement professional is the most upstanding position you can take,” Kathleen Sullivan, a longtime African American community activist, said during the meeting; “Thank you chief, we love you.” Richmond’s mayor and an ethnically diverse group of council-members also publicly backed Magnus. The outpouring of community support has deep roots. Since Magnus became chief in 2006, two remarkable things have happened: violent crime is down an estimated 33 percent, and property crimes are down 36 percent. At the same time, he has curbed the use of force by police. Since 2007 only one resident has been shot and killed by police: 24-year-old Richard Perez was slain outside of a liquor store during a scuffle with an officer. The incident occurred this September, shortly after Michael Brown was killed. Afterwards, Magnus released a statement saying he was committed to the “greatest degree of transparency possible involving this critical incident.” While riots erupted in Ferguson, Missouri, over Brown’s death, Magnus was invited to—and attended—Perez’s memorial service in Richmond.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 21:44:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015