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By CLEVELAND TINKER
Special to the Guardian
Published: Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at 3:03 p.m.
A diverse group of residents from Gainesville voiced a myriad of concerns to a national law enforcement organization hired to review existing systems at the Gainesville Police Department and make recommendations on how the department can become better.
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More than 20 residents attended a community meeting last Wednesday afternoon at GPD, and one of them, former GPD Lt. Alena Lawson, said she would like to see officers receive more training to teach them how to deal with people and how to be more empathetic with the people.
Lawson made her statements to a seven-member panel of law enforcement experts from the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, or NOBLE, who were in town for two community meetings to gauge how local residents view the police department.
The group was hired by the city earlier this year to determine if additional steps are needed to improve GPD after a series of problems with officers being disciplined or prosecuted for such alleged incidents as theft, sex crimes and harrassment.
“The core values of respect, character and integrity need to be stressed and valued more,” said Lawson, adding that people should not be judged by their hairstyles or how they dress. She also said personnel at GPD should reflect the demographics of the community.
Sharon Anderson, a Gainesville resident, said she has seen officers mistreat black residents on more than one occasion, and she also said she “is concerned” about the way police reports are written sometimes.
Gainesville Resident Khali Blount, a community activist, said he thinks new officers need to be required to take at least one course in developmental psychology so the department can weed out recruits who may show signs that they are not ready to carry a gun and a badge. Other residents told the panel that they don’t think it is right for the department to investigate itself when residents complain about mistreatment from officers.
They also suggested that the age requirement for new recruits be increased and there should be more dialogue between GPD and young blacks.
Jeff McAdams, a GPD officer and president of the
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