Police Must Assess Conduct, Ex-Officer Says

A former Washington, D.C., police officer told a Spokane audience Saturday that they need to demand accountability from police to make change in their community.

“The only way it’s going to change is when you all demand it,” Ronald Hampton said.

Hampton, the executive director of the National Black Police Association, spoke to more than 50 people at the East Central Community Center.

He recently retired as a Washington, D.C., police officer and works as a consultant for the Department of Justice and as a lecturer at American University.

Following Hampton’s speech, Harriett Walden of Mothers Against Police Harassment in Seattle, talked to the group.

During his speech, Hampton said police brutality remains a very real issue.

“You can go to any brown, black or poor community and they can tell you about police brutality,” he said.

Hampton said he believes everything from disrespectful statements to the beating of Rodney King constitute police misconduct.

One way to correct the misconduct is for good officers to come forward.

“I have a saying that police brutality can be stopped when good police officers report bad officers,” he said.

His organization offers tips for cops who’ve made reports and are then faced with backlash.

One of the problems with eliminating racism from police departments is getting those in charge to even admit the problem exists.

“I’ve never heard a police department admit they’re racist,” he said.

Affirmative action hasn’t introduced a change in attitude at police departments because they’re still run by “white male” power structures, Hampton said.

To help cope with differences, police need to be trained in working with different ethnic and racial groups, he said.

Plus, communities must get involved in helping form a police department’s priorities.

“We pay their salaries,” Hampton said. “The police work for us.”

, DataTimes