Gainesville Police focused on police violence at its monthly Police Advisory Council meeting Monday, which took place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center.
The Northeast Gainesville/Duval Area Front Porch Florida Community, Inc. joined the meeting to discuss the perception of increased violence between cops and citizens in America.
Chief Tony Jones said officers are trained to recognize Disproportionate Minority Contact, which describes how young black people are more likely to receive harsh treatment from law enforcement than their white counterparts.
Along with the training, new officers are put on probation, which ends once they become a positive part of the community, Jones said.
Because the department has a good relationship with the community, race relations in Gainesville have not been an issue for law enforcement, said Bob Cohen, chairman of the council.
He said citizens should know their rights and responsibilities in the community, and people should voice their concerns to the department.
“Officers are nervous, citizens are nervous because both are scared of being shot,” he said.
Lois Harrison voiced her concerns Monday evening.
Harrison said she has been pulled over several times and that, while her experiences with older officers has been pleasant, many of her experiences with younger officers have been frightening.
“They yelled at me to get out of the car,” she said. “It’s scary impolite. I’m 80 years old — I don’t need that aggravation.”
Earlier in the meeting, council member Juanita Miles-Hamilton asked if officers record their interactions.
Chief Jones said half of the department’s cars have dash cameras, adding the rest would be installed in two years. He also said body cameras would cost about $430,000 to maintain in a year, which he requested from the U.S. Department of Justice.
