Local police, Warriors meet to talk race, tactics

SANTA CRUZ >> Police Chief Andy Mills and several other high ranking members of the Santa Cruz Police Department met with the Santa Cruz Warriors for a leadership conversation on race and policing last week at a private residence in Aptos.

It was so powerful and beneficial, other discussions are in the works. Mills called in the “jump ball” of their meetings.

Their first conversation, set up to strengthen relationships between the Black community and police, lasted four hours. Members from both groups explained previous experiences with each other, as well as the difficulties of walking in their shoes.

“It was one meeting, but it was powerful,” said moderator Reggie Stephens, a former NFLer out of Santa Cruz High and owner of the non-profit Reggie Stephens Foundation.

The Santa Cruz Warriors were represented by president Chris Murphy, general manager Ryan Atkinson, head coach Kris Weems, former player Hilton Armstrong and Golden State Warriors Basketball Operations & Development Coordinator Mujtaba Elgoodah.

“These are articulate men with advanced degrees and executives,” said Joyce Blaschke, SCPD spokeswoman. “To a man, they all had been stopped or detained for multiple reasons, multiple times with other law enforcement for no other reason than to create a sense of fear or harassment.”

Mills said he was sickened to hear locals discuss their fears of being stopped by police.

“When people tell you they’re afraid to be stopped by police or say, ‘ I’m scared I’m going to be killed,’ it rattles your cages to have to listen to that,” Mills said. “It’s a hypervigilance complex. It has been codified by what they’re seeing on TV. And whether it’s 100% accurate or not is not the point.”

Blacks make up just 1.4% of Santa Cruz’s population according to city demographics last published by the Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce in 2015. Blaschke said the number of caring calls from concerned residents to SCPD increases each year when the Warriors players report to camp.

Mills said Netcom has since been set up to not take calls based on race.

Blaschke said it was important for police to have this sit- down conversation.

And Mills and members of his staff were all ears. Mills was in the national spotlight after he and Santa Cruz Mayor Justin Cummings, were photographed while taking a knee along with hundreds gathered on Pacific Avenue on June 1 to honor the memory of George Floyd and bring attention to institutionalized police violence against Blacks.

“They needed to get real answers from Black men,” she said. “It was pretty dynamic. This was programming that will funnel down to players and front-line officers.”

Police addressed the difficulties of their jobs, including stops and arrests. Representing SCPD was Mills, Deputy Chiefs Bernie