Protesters before LR board voice police demands

A group of protesters demanded changes and reallocation of funding in the Little Rock Police Department during Tuesday’s city Board of Directors meeting.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, community activist Dawn Jeffrey took to the microphone to announce that demonstrators would continue to demand that the city board reallocate police funding to communities, form a citizen review board whose members are appointed by the public, remove “corrupt officers” from the force, and more.

“This is about going beyond meetings, and actually implementing and enforcing policies that will protect the citizens from the police,” Jeffrey said. “We are occupying City Hall today because of the ignored cries of the people to protect us from police. We are declaring a state of emergency, as should every state in the nation that allows police to beat, rape and murder their citizens without repercussions.”

Residents who sign up to speak at the meetings are allowed three minutes. When Mayor Frank Scott Jr. alerted Jeffrey that her time was up, she requested more time and continued speaking when Scott called the next name on the list.

Another protester joined in to echo Jeffrey’s remarks. As a police officer approached the lectern where she stood, demonstrators walked up to join her, recording video on their cellphones. About 25 people attended the meeting to protest.

“You get paid for locking us up,” one man said as Jeffrey continued to read from a list of 27 demands and four more officers approached the group.

“It’s peaceful,” Scott said, addressing an officer who turned his way. “It’s peaceful.”

The mayor said the board would continue with its agenda but asked the officers to back up and allow the

group to protest peacefully. One officer took photos as the demonstrators remained gathered at the lectern. The group went outside shortly after.

The demonstration was the latest in a wave of protests in Little Rock and across the nation that began in late May after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis. Protesters have continued to demand justice system changes in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was wounded by law enforcement officers in Kenosha, Wis., last month.

A protester who identified herself as V said she felt that officials were “ignoring us, as always,” adding that three minutes isn’t enough time. She also took issue with the police presence at the meeting.

“When have you ever seen 15 police officers at a board meeting?” she said. “The police response is a waste of our money.”

Officers looked on as the protesters gathered at Markham Street and Broadway outside the Robinson Center, where the meeting was held. More than 10 officers stood at the intersection after the group had dispersed, until about 7:15 p.m.

The board has not yet considered its budget for 2021, but at least two city directors have signed a pledge from the national conservative lobbying group Heritage Action For America, vowing that they will not support any measure that takes away funding from police. Ward 5 City Director Lance Hines and At-large City Director Joan Adcock praised the department Tuesday.

“I will fight tooth and nail to keep that from happening. I think we have one of the best police organizations not only in Arkansas, but in this nation,” Hines said, adding that he commended Scott on changes he has made to get the department up to date with accreditation standards.

Ward 2 City Director Ken Richardson said he could look at reallocating police funding. He said wanting an objective assessment of the department didn’t mean that he wasn’t supportive of police. Richardson has been supportive of an independent review of the department that Scott called for in May.

“I don’t think the Police Department is perfect,” Richardson said.

Ward 6 City Director Doris Wright said she would like the board to consider recommendations that the Police Department change its crisis intervention procedure and ensure that there is adequate implicit bias training.

“I do know there’s a lot of mental health issues out there, so I think that’s a very viable policy suggestion that they’re recommending here,” Wright said. “I think we have comprehensive training for implicit bias, but if we don’t I’d like to see that.”

Scott said he understood the “pain, frustration and agony” of protesters, but pointed to several reform measures the Police Department has taken, including purchasing body-worn cameras and banning neck restraints. He added that the budget reflected his administration’s priorities of justice and accountability.

“We understand there’s still more work to do,” he said.