A Call For Change
Councilmember Says It’s Time For Culture Shift In County Police Department
By Jolene Ivey
Jolene Ivey is Prince George’s County Councilmember for District 5
As the mother of five black sons, I share the worry and fear of every black parent each time one of my children leaves the house. It is the painful and angering reality my husband and I face daily. We've had "The Talk" too often because the infuriating and frustrating reality is this country has never been willing to successfully address the crime of police brutality, and the seeming impunity and unaccountability of too many police. Nor has the country ever confronted and tried to rectify the results and outcomes of its ugly, formative original sin. Enough is enough, and Prince George's now has an opportunity.
The county is now searching for a new police chief. It is vital that the new chief be the catalyst to lead to a pronounced change in the culture of the police department. It is imperative that we recognize the importance and long-term ramification of this upcoming selection. The status quo, and more of the same, is not acceptable. Much of the country is justifiably rising up, with new and awakening allies joining in, demanding a reckoning with our unjust, painful past. The County Executive has announced a nation-wide search for a new chief, and I think it is important to hire someone from the outside, who is not a product of the Department's current culture. Change is needed, and this is our opportunity to begin.
As a first step, County Council and the County Executive moved this past week to reallocate $20 million from the police department’s capital budget to a mental health facility instead. Originally intended to build a training facility and firing range for the police, the money will now be used to build a facility to address addictions and mental health. Too often people end up in the justice system and our jails who should be treated instead for addiction and mental health. We need to reprioritize and rethink our police funding, and this is only the beginning.
As Fannie Lou Hamer said in the 1960s, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” It’s time to make changes.
