Dec 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 12

tional, stand-alone police station
in their community. A rebuilt Third
Precinct that simply recreates the
previous police station has been
met with substantial resistance for
three years.
On the other hand, you could tell
from this meeting that the idea of
having to go into a building that
houses a police station, of being
near and walking by police to access
social services, is very upsetting
to many people. That opinion
seemed to be unanimous. One
man in attendance told the panel
of council members, “I wouldn’t
go to get social services from a
place where there’s cops. I wouldn’t
feel safe.” Another said, “Some of
you may want police. I imagine a
future without them. I imagine a
future where my neighbors who
are houseless, who are dealing
with chemical dependency, who
are dealing with intergenerational
poverty, will not have to walk into
a police station [to get help].” Many
snaps ensued.
In response to a number of questions
along these lines and to many
people angrily asking why this
building is even going to have police
in it, the council members present
made it clear that they sympathized
and identified with the residents’
concerns, that they were skeptical
of the value of a police precinct in
the neighborhood, and that they are
generally distrustful of the police.
They shared the general reluctance
of the audience regarding the very
presence of a police station in their
wards.
Much of the discussion was led
by Robin Wonsley, a Democratic
Socialist who represents Ward 2.
Council member Wonsley responded
to several of the questions and
comments that, unfortunately, the
City Council’s “hands are tied” so
they cannot simply eliminate police
due to staffing mandates in the city
charter.
Perhaps the best representation
of the tone of the evening was a
man in his 50s who was wearing
scrubs and told the panel that he
had just gotten off work as a nurse.
“I’ve been working in this town for
over 20 f—in’ years, and nothing has
changed. And let’s get really honest
here: people say that the reason
Chauvin’s in jail is because of the
video. Bulls—t. There’s been video
of cops murdering people all over
this f—in’ country, and they didn’t
get anybody arrested. The only f—
in’ reason that Chauvin’s in jail is
because of the f—in’ Third Precinct
being burned down, and that’s the
f—in’ truth!” This received heavy
applause and snaps.
The meeting adjourned by noting
that this is just the first of many
information sessions that city leaders
will have with the public as the
new Third Precinct and Community
Safety Center are being built.
Based on this meeting, the overall
feeling among active community
members is not one of relief or
gratitude of finally having police officers
present to ensure their safety,
but rather one of deep resentment
and bitterness that they are returning
at all. If there are residents who
feel differently, they appear to not
be present, and their voices are not
being heard.
Reprinted from Alpha News.
The Blues 40th Anniversary Issue 57