Bay Area police chiefs meet to wrestle with issues of diversity, staffing
OAKLAND -- A one-of-a-kind meeting this week where most of the Black police chiefs in the Bay Area held a summit and talked about solutions to hiring and retaining officers and ways to build trust in the communities.
The event was planned before the Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols. But chiefs said what happened in Memphis showed them it's more than just hiring Black and Brown officers, it's even more important to have the right culture in place.
They believed the recent beating death of Nichols set law enforcement back decades.
"I am extremely troubled by what I'm seeing in Memphis," said Antioch Police Chief Steven Ford.
About a dozen chiefs talked about what works and what doesn't in their department and how to make sure what happened in Memphis doesn't happen in the Bay Area.
"When we know we have individuals that are contrary to what we are trying to develop, the cultures that we're trying to create, they have to be removed," said UC Berkeley Police Chief Yogananda Pittman.
There are four Black female police chiefs in California, three of them were in the room.
"I was actually sworn in at Berkeley just [Wednesday)]," said Pittman, who was an assistant chief with the U.S. Capitol Police Department. She served as the acting chief after the January 6 insurrection.
"Many times, we talk about training, policies, practices, and culture. But I also think there has to be a strong emphasis on how do we change our police officers' hearts," said Pittman. "We have to see ourselves and our communities, and to understand that, that somebody's child, that somebody's mother, and we have to keep areas safe, but always, always putting compassion at the forefront of our decision making."
The chiefs believed the Nichols beating not only creates distrust but makes it very difficult to recruit and retain officers.
"When officers cross the line, there needs to be accountability, no doubt about it," said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott. "But one thing I think we can do better is not vilify the whole profession. That does discourage people from coming to this profession."
San Jose State University police chief Michael Carroll organized the Thursday event. He said part of it is about sharing good practices.
"We want to make sure that we're intentional about our actions," Carroll said. "We want to be intentional about the way we serve our community, and how we build these relationships and partnerships."
The chiefs talked about what policies can create a strong culture and attract good talent.
"First and foremost is to make sure our relationship inside is seamless. Because we have to have a good relationship inside before we can go outside and shake hands," said Ford.
They also talked about the challenges and the importance of hiring women in a profession dominated by men. The three female chiefs shared stories of discrimination and harassment and ways to fix those problems.
"Another female officer was ostracized by her beat partners because she had to take breaks so she could pump milk for her breastfeeding babies," said Los Altos Police Chief Angela Averiett. "She was told by her partners that she was abandoning her beat and being lazy because others have to pick up her slack."
"We know that diversity matters, and we really want to see the community through a diverse lens," said Pittman. "We know that it makes a difference."
Noticeably absent was Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, even though the event took place seven blocks away from the Oakland Police Department.
Chief Armstrong was recently placed on leave pending an investigation into his handling of a police internal affairs case. It was done on the recommendation of court-appointed monitor Robert Warshaw, whose position was created to fight police abuse against minority communities, especially African Americans.
Last week, Armstrong's supporters rallied to show their support and call for his reinstatement.