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Martin Gordon: “Did You Know?” (This Time Kendrec McDade)

Published on Friday, August 8, 2014 | 1:35 pm
 
Martin Gordon shown speaking at the April 10, 2012 rally following the shooting death of Kendrek McDade.

Pasadena Community! Did you know that after over two years, the City of Pasadena will release a washed out version of Los Angeles County Office of Independent Reviews (LACOIR) Report and Recommendations in the Kendrec McDade Shooting Death! Although there has been a reported million dollars plus settlement in the civil case, there continue to be multiple issues surrounding the case.

The issues include but are not limited to Pasadena Police Department (PPD) specific shooting policy, the recording of the arrests, pursuit policies and the use of best practices in this specific shooting.

Unfortunately, the PPD, Pasadena City Manager, City Council and Public Safety Committee have all been virtually silent on the matter.

The Mayor of Pasadena and City Council called for patience and calm as the PPD, City Council, Public Safety Committee and whoever decides on how to spin the LACOIR Report in the best light for the PPD and the City.

Well, the chickens have come home to roost my friends. All of the talk on community oversight of the PPD, transparency in the PPD are just pipe dreams for those that still believe in the Pasadena Way.

The question is: Has the time for calm and silence from the community finally passed? Has the Public Safety Committee and/or the city met even the minimum expectation in oversight in the McDade Case? Furthermore, has there ever been an accounting by the PPD or the Public Safety Committee on the recommendations contained in the LACOIR Report in the Leroy Barnes Shooting?

It is no longer acceptable to just say the City and the PPD accepted the recommendations in the Barnes’ Case. The time to account for what has actually been done is NOW. The community deserves an explanation in both the Leroy Barnes shooting and the McDade shooting. The PPD must also account for the increase in arrests on PUSD Campuses since the police settled in there, the continued “Stop and Frisk” while black or brown in our communities and the total disrespect for the community; a community that has asked over and over for the PPD to stop killing and harassing people of color!

The police around the country have thrown down the gauntlet against the entire community. Attacks on African-American women have taken center stage on this police abuse comedy of errors. Men, we cannot stand idly by and let this happen to our women or to our people. For the first time in many years whites are seeing some of the abuses of the police. It is amazing what you can see when you open both eyes to the truth. Remember history tells us that if you sit around and allow injustice to happen to someone else, it is only a matter of time before it will happen to you (or your children).

Of course the issues and question are more complex than can be articulated here. But, the real question is, will we as a community stand silent while our right to transparency, accountability and positive action on our behalf are trampled> Will we stand idly by?

On a personal note, Pasadena please buy your PPD Officers cards! If I hear one more complaint that when officers asked for a card they state I just ran out, I might go to Vista Print and get some made for those officers myself!

If you don’t know better ask somebody!

Martin A. Gordon

 

 

 

Did You Know is a column written by Guest Writer Martin A. Gordon
Chair and Facilitatory for the Pasadena Community Coalition

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