NAACP, police chiefs sign outreach plan
Lansdale-Ambler leaders come together for statement of understanding
AMBLER >> Police chiefs representing several Montgomery County jurisdictions and members of the Ambler branch of the NAACP came together Friday afternoon with a common goal: to continue fostering bonds between the community and law enforcement agencies.
To that end, both groups donned masks inside of Ambler Borough Hall as they gathered to formally sign a community outreach engagement plan.
“The thing about this, and our branch, is we want to be proactive,” said NAACP Ambler Branch President Shaykh Anwar Muhammad.
“In that time period, we also have understood that we’ve had a lot of tough conversations,” Muhammad said. “We know what’s going on nationally, and we don’t want what’s going on nationally to happen in our community.”
Along with Muhammad, borough and township police chiefs from Ambler, Lansdale, Lower Gwynedd, Hatfield, Montgomery, North Wales, Towamencin, Upper Dublin, Upper Gwynedd, and Whitpain signed the document. Each police chief took a
moment to sign the document and said a few words. Representatives respected the established relationships, and agreed developing these bonds further is paramount.
“I just want to thank everyone for getting this done,” said North Wales Police Chief Michael Eves.
“It’s hard sometimes just to get two people to agree on things, but to get this many all on board that was something that we think is so important to the community,” said Towamencin Police Chief Timothy Troxel. “I think it’s just a testament to this area, and the residents, and the groups in the community with the police.”
While Muhammad had already established a rapport with law enforcement leaders, drawing up the five-page document was something more recent, taking nearly two months to create.
The memorandum of understanding spotlighted agencies within the geographic boundaries of the NAACP Ambler branch, which is comprised of the North Penn, Upper Dublin and Wissahickon school districts.
“We really got on top of it, and really hashed it out, and ironed it out because I think everybody has the same objectives,” Anwar told MediaNews Group. “The police chiefs and the Ambler NAACP who represent our community [have] the same objective.”
Muhammad stressed the importance of instilling a sense of “accountability,” which could eventually lead to more constructive relationships.
“How do we hold our police departments accountable? How do we hold them accountable with anything that transpires? … The standard of policing should always be high, right? Certain things should not transpire like with routine traffic stops or with regular interactions with the police, period,” Anwar told MediaNews Group. “Some things should never happen.”
“It’s much more than a document — hav[ing] the ability to communicate often and regularly about the issues that are impacting the community is important,” said Upper Dublin Police Chief Francis Wheatly. “So we shouldn’t wait for a crisis.”
In addition to reviewing the “mutually beneficial commitment” on an annual basis, all parties involved agreed to stand united in their work to improve transparency, stop instances of implicit biases and cultivate communication between the NAACP’s Ambler branch and respective law enforcement organizations.
“The purpose of this document is to enhance policecommunity relations by sharing insights through forward thinking, open dialogue, mutual respect, in the spirit of cooperation and support,” the memorandum of understanding states.
The agreement also stipulated the implementation or continuance of “the HUB program, the Bridge Program, or similar type of diversionary program, for those residents who may benefit more from an alternative program that prevents them from entering the criminal justice system.”
Muhammad emphasized the importance of working to further strengthen community bonds.
“I believe that our children, no, I know that our children should … feel safe in their communities,” he said. “They ... shouldn’t be afraid of the police. That’s big to me.”
Muhammad emphasized that the momentum should continue.
“To march and to protest and not have a plan is simply exercise,” he said. “So once you protest and once you march what are we doing next?”
“Because we have to have a plan, an active working plan, and these are the kinds of steps, to me, that are important when establishing something because the demonstrations, and all those things are excellent, but if we’re just doing those and there aren’t policies, procedures, programs in place, then we’re still back at square one,” he continued.
Muhammad acknowledged there is an important “next” step.
“The ‘what’s next’ is we’re meeting with these parties,” Muhammad said. “... We’re getting ... people [to sign] their names … and getting it down on paper and getting it official.”