Organization holds second forum and urges residents to file complaints on discriminatory incidents
The New London Branch of the NAACP said it will continue to press the city to hire a black firefighter and demand the arrest of an officer accused of planting drugs during a traffic stop.
The organization held its second town hall meeting on Thursday at the Second Congregational Church. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss racial profiling, police misconduct, and unfair hiring practices.
The local NAACP has been critical of the decision by the city to terminate recruit Alfred Mayo, who was hired as a recruit for the New London Fire Department, two days before the conclusion of his training at the state fire academy. The city has said the decision was based on test scores and concerns related to Mayo’s personnel file, while Mayo and the NAACP argue that Mayo is qualified and that the concerns are minor issues.
“The NAACP will continue to galvanize and organize until he gets his job back,” said Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches.
Robert Peterson, a friend of Mayo’s, spoke in support of Mayo. He said he thinks the city is doing itself a disservice by not hiring Mayo.
“I pray that we get behind causes like this and we don’t sweep it under the rug,” he said.
Esdaile said he was “very disappointed” that City Council President Pro Tempore and Chief Administrative Officer Jane Glover did not attend the event. Esdaile said the two declined to attend after the NAACP invited them to discuss their reasoning for supporting the termination of Mayo, as both were consulted in the decision.
The majority of the discussion focused on police practices. The NAACP previously denounced an October 2010 traffic stop involving Lance Goode, where a cruiser cam video purportedly shows former Officer Roger Newton of the New London Police Department planting drugs at the scene. Newton has since resigned from the force. Esdaile said the organization is demanding that Newton be prosecuted.
Don Wilson, president of the New London NAACP, showed a cruiser cam video from another traffic stop in October of 2011. Six police officers are on the scene shortly after the stop for a seat belt infraction takes place, and a black man is arrested after shouting at police while being patted down. Wilson said search took place after officers said they smelled marijuana, and that the man shouted because he was surprised when the officer searched near his buttocks.
“We need you to know that there’s an attitude here,” said Wilson. “We need an attitude change in this city, in this country, period.”
A panel which included Police Chief Margaret Ackley, police officer and City Councilor Anthony Nolan, and NAACP officials heard several citizen concerns about police practices.
Albert Garvin said he felt police standards need to be increased. He said he moved to New London from Mobile, Ala. and that he had drugs planted on him in 1980.
“The only difference between New London and Mobile in 1932 is we have integrated schools and we don’t have to sit in the back of the bus,” he said.
Sameem Waheed said he was arrested last month on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol after failing to pass a sobriety test due to a disability. He said he passed a breathalyzer test but was held for several hours. Waheed said he is a retired teacher who has done work with Nolan and other police officers before.
“You have new officers here,” he said. “They don’t know the community, and they don’t know the people.”
Tamara Lanier, criminal justice chair for the state NAACP, said the organization has been working to ensure that civil rights complaints are heard.
“If you have a complaint, you need to document and bring it to us,” she said.