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Residents demand police accountability after chief conditions meetings on attendee list
Summary
Faith Coalition invited the Springfield police chief to a Sept. 29 town hall. The chief told council he will not meet with a group if a particular community leader attends; the leader and several aldermen urged department participation and called for independent review and community engagement.
Residents and city officials pushed Monday for greater police accountability after the Springfield Police Department’s leadership told council it would not meet with a community group if a particular member attended. Faith Coalition for the Common Good invited the chief to a community town hall scheduled for Sept. 29 at the Lincoln Library to discuss police conduct and community trust.
The invitation came from Kawani Barney, a community organizer with the Faith Coalition, who asked that “chief Bell” and a representative from the police union participate in the Sept. 29 town hall at Lincoln Library’s Carnegie Room to “foster open dialogue” about conduct and explore “pathways toward transformation to justice,” Barney said during the Committee of the Whole meeting.
The matter quickly drew aldermen into the discussion after Alderman Gregory recommended the city consider engaging the independent Massey Commission’s work on city policing and said he would work with colleagues to draft an ordinance for council consideration.…
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