Charleston community activists are calling for drastic changes to the way law enforcement polices the Black community, raising questions of bias based on a critical, new report.
At a 4 p.m. news conference in Martin Park on Oct. 27, activists with Charleston Peoples’ Budget Coalition, made up of at least three local groups and South Carolina's chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said their new report shows racial equity is still lacking two years after a city-funded audit of the police department found disparities in how law enforcement treats people of color.
It shows there has been no change in the city in regards to racial equity, Marcus McDonald, a lead organizer with Black Lives Matter, said.
Marcus McDonald with Black Lives Matter speaks during a press conference held to address the racial disparities in Charleston policing arrests and over-policing of Black youth on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 in Charleston. Lauren Petracca/Staff
Around a dozen members of organizations including Charleston’s BLM chapter, the Charleston Area Justice Ministry and Lowcountry Action Committee, spoke on the park’s basketball court about the report, which was scheduled to be released Oct. 28.
McDonald mentioned the racial bias audit report of the Charleston Police Department, which was published in 2019. The department has said it implemented the recommendations in the audit, but “we still see no change,” he said.
Citing a preliminary version of the forthcoming report, McDonald highlighted statistics, based on data collected from the Charleston Police Department’s Open Data Portal:
- Between Jan. 1, 2020, and June 31, 2021, Black people comprised around 70 percent of all the department’s marijuana possession arrests, the report claims. Experts have stated Black and White people use marijuana at similar rates; and
- Black children made up over 90 percent of disorderly conduct arrests among youths.
“There’s still such a horrific number of our people getting targeted, and our youth especially, so that’s why we’re here today,” McDonald said, referencing the event’s location next to the Martin Luther King Jr. Aquatic Center, a playground and ball field. The park represents a place where kids can play and enjoy themselves, and escape from day-to-day struggles.
One arrest can ruin a child’s life, he said, adding Charleston’s youths represent the city’s future, but it’s impossible for them to “take the reins” if they’re over-policed.
This year marks the audit’s second anniversary, which should prompt the celebration of a hard-earned victory with reductions in these disparities. Instead, there are a “handful of broken promises,” said Suzanne Hardie, the Justice Ministry's policing committee co-chair.
Hardie acknowledged progress was made on policy clarity and data capture, but not on the audit’s key purpose, which was to “reduce and eventually eliminate racial disparities.”
Community organizers called on elected officials, including Charleston’s city council and Mayor John Tecklenburg, to hold the police accountable.
The forthcoming report will highlight the different disparities that exist in each district, hopefully prompting change, McDonald said.
Joshua Parks with the Lowcountry Action Committee suggested the issue of disparities within policing goes back to the history of slavery. Until people in power confront this history, the disparities will continue, he said.
Joshua Parks with Lowcountry Action Committee speaks during a press conference held to address the racial disparities in Charleston policing arrests and over-policing of Black youth on Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2021 in Charleston. Lauren Petracca/Staff
“I don’t think we can just tackle it from one angle or two angles,” Parks said. “It’s like an entire system that has to be overturned for us to have any chance at some equal society.”
Raynique Syas, a mother and grandmother, moved her family to Charleston for a better environment. Now that they’re here, the community isn’t as “better” as she once thought.
Syas implored officers to police Black and White communities the same.
“Stop looking at the color (of their skin) and look at the person, look at the heart of the people in this community, and you will be able to police better,” she said. “That is what the community is asking you to do.”
Charleston’s police department is committed to public safety by focusing on reducing crime and the fear of crime, Sgt. Elisabeth Wolfsen, police spokeswoman, said in an email.
“In doing so, officers and professional staff work to build community partnerships through problem solving in all areas of the city,” she said. The department remains “committed to positive encounters with our youth in our policing and community outreach efforts.”
Police officials plan to review the full report, Wolfsen said.
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