Chapel Hill police work to regain public's trust

Police are working to repair their image within the community after the Nov. 13 break-up of an Occupy protest that took over the former Yates Motor Company building.

Although a report released last week by the town manager supports police decisions in dealing with what police said was an illegal and potentially dangerous encampment, some residents have questioned the department’s actions.

Maria Rowan is one of them.

“I’m incredibly suspicious of the police and their intentions toward our community,” she said.

Rowan, an activist with Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro, said she observed the Yates break-up — during which a specialized police team with assault rifles detained many protesters before forcing them to leave. She said she believed the police action was reckless.

“I was taught while growing up that you don’t point a gun at anything you don’t plan on shooting,” she said. “All it would have taken was one mistake with an assault weapon.”

Although members of Occupy Chapel Hill/Carrboro — a separate group from the Yates protesters — and others in the community have condemned police actions, town council member Penny Rich said the reaction has been mixed.

“The most vocal people are those against them, but I know plenty of town council members that support what they did,” she said.

But Police Chief Chris Blue said the department worries the incident could impact essential relationships with the community and is striving to overcome any mistrust the public may have.

“Our commitment to community relations has not changed,” Blue said. “We acknowledge that sometimes incidents can challenge those relationships, but we are committed to going about our business of keeping the community safe.”

Blue said in order for the department to do its job, it must have the trust of the public. He said police will continue to build strong relationships with neighborhood watch groups, citizen groups and UNC­.

At the Chapel Hill Town Council meeting Monday night, Blue said the department will also continue to work with the two council-appointed citizen boards — the Justice in Action and Community Policing Advisory committees — to help the department understand what residents expect of the police.

The policing advisory committee, which has been meeting since August, met Wednesday night to further discuss the Yates incident and the town’s report.

But many have called for a separate review commission with no town liaisons, especially after the town released its supportive report. Town Council rejected a proposal for an independent review Monday.

“The independent review board is not off the table,” Rich said. “I think we just need to hear more reactions and ask questions.”

Rich said she voted against the immediate establishment of the independent review commission because the community policing advisory committee already allows for resident input.

“I don’t know how it looks different than the citizens we appointed for the police review board,” she said.

Laurin Easthom was the only town council member who supported the proposal for an independent review commission.

“I think that a separate entity, looking at everything that has happened, is very important,” she said. “This is a move in the right direction to gain back the trust of the community.”

But even amid the controversy, many have stood by the police.

“They must be open and honest in answering the questions they are receiving, and I think they are doing just that,” Rich said.

And Scott McBride, a journalism graduate student, said the police are professionals who made the best decisions they could.

Blue said police hope to reconcile public opinion with their decisions.

“Sometimes our jobs are tough, and even if there’s a reaction, we know we will continue to move forward and learn from those experiences.”

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