City Manager Can Not Keep His Story Straight

He Could Not Keep His Story Straight

The City Manager, Ed Augustus,  and the Deputy Chief of the Worcester Police, Sargent  met at least one of the protesters from the MLK Day Black Lives Matter protest at Kelly Square that delayed traffic for four and one-half minutes. The Manager and the Deputy Chief proffered the deal that if there were no more of the same protests, then the City of Worcester would not seek criminal charges against the 40 to 50 people who participated in that protest. The Black lives Matter people turned down the deal telling the City Officials that the civil rights movement would not be intimidated by threats of arrests. At that point the City officials said that they would seek charges, although they did not say what charges they would seek.

In the meeting there was no discussion of the reform of the accountability of the Worcester Police to claims of Black Lives Matter protesters of racial profiling and police misconduct.  Over a 12 month period starting in October 2013 to October 2014 there were at least one hundred and thirty four complaints made against the Worcester police by “civilians”.  Most of these complaints were adjudicated as unsubstantiated by the City Police’s Standards Department.   What is interesting is that the number of complaints seems to be increasing.  This might be a sign that the Black Lives protests are mitigating the fear of the so called communities of color to speak of our grievances. Although not racist on its face, the threats of arrest will likely have a disparately racist impact on the community.

The outcome of the meeting was predictable.  The strange public announcements by the City Manager and the Police Chief, Gary Gemme, which preceded the meeting, were not predictable. The Police Chief stated in an article in the Worcester Telegram that he was compelled to seek charges because of a video he saw on Youtube.  A day later the City Manager said that Chief Gemme did not act on his own when he said that he was going to charge the protesters. The City Manager said in his interview that he ordered Chief Gemme to look for something to charge the protesters, because of “public safety” concerns.  The City Manager then said that he had not seen the video because it was locked at Youtube. This raises the question of the accuracy of Mr. Augustus and Chief Gemme statements. How is it possible for Police Chief Gemme to look for something to charge protesters based on a video when the City Manager said that he ordered Chief Gemme to do so before the City Manager ever saw the video? Sometimes it is hard to get the story straight, especially when City Council asks for the “protocols” of protests.

Reviewing the video it is my inexpert opinion there is nothing with which to charge the protesters. I think that the City Council will have to come up with a new oppressive ordinance to charge the protesters, such as “spending too much time in a cross walk”. As with the panhandling issue the City Council will use the pretext of “public safety”.   The poor, the homeless, and racism are issues that the City officials would prefer to keep out of sight.

Worcester Cops Retaliate Against Protesters

Retaliation and Harassment

At the January 13, 2015 Worcester City Council meeting Councillor Lukes said that the Worcester Police were reduced to the tactics of harassment to drive out the people she did not like near her rental property in the Canal District.  The same seems to be taking place again with the Black Lives Matter protesters.

On January 20, 2015 Worcester Police Chief Gemme said that he was looking for something to charge the Black Lives Matter protesters who blocked Kelly Square on MLK Day. About 50 protesters, some holding signs on the sidewalk and others standing in the crosswalk, held up traffic for four and one half minutes to bring attention to the four and one-half hours Michael Brown lay dead in the street after being shot by Ferguson Mo. Police.

Like Councillor Lukes said, the Worcester Police has been again reduced to the personal, of some government officials, tool of retaliation and harassment.  The evidence that Chief Gemme is retaliating and harassing is the fact that he could not articulate any charges that could be brought against the protesters. His comments that he was looking into a “variety “charges is evidence of the pretext.

The protesters who blocked I 93 near Boston two weeks ago were charged with trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and willfully blocking an ambulance. None of these charges apply to any of the protesters in Worcester. The sidewalks and crosswalks are public spaces and there was not a trespassing violation.  The police did not witness any disorderly conduct. There were no arrests and therefore there could not have been any resistance of arrest. The protesters allowed the ambulance to pass without the ambulance stopping.

The City Council will have to create another oppressive ordinance to charge the Black Lives Matter protesters like it did when it banned poor and homeless people from asking for help by the means of panhandling.  Once again it will hide behind the straw man of “public safety”.

At the City Council meeting of January 20, 2015 Councillor Lukes and others compelled the City Manager to explain the “protocols” for demonstrations. Although the Black Lives Matter demonstrations have gone on for months, the City Manager Ed Augustus had not said much about them. Now he is speaking against them, aiding the police in its retaliation and harassment.  The City Manager is supposed to be the “civilian” review board for the City. It is clear that he is not capable of making any necessary reforms to the Worcester Police Department, even though he is the titular boss.

I can’t remember any time that the City Council deliberated any policy for the Worcester Police Department. As a rule it allows the Police Chief to do as he see fit and the City Managers just rubber stamps the Police activities. It is ironic that police policy was deliberated at the January 20, 2015 City Council meeting when the issue of how to handle the Black Lives Matter protests was discussed.

I was told that the City Council has requested about forty reports from the City Manager about the activities of the Worcester Police and none have been given to the Worcester City Council. The Chief of Police uses as an excuse for non compliance the lack of personnel to do the research. No one really knows what is going on in the Worcester Police Department.

The following are a list of issues that the City Council should be setting policy, but is not: prostitution in Main South, increased shootings in the City, increased overdoses in the City, the need or lack of need for stationary license plate readers, and the use of body cameras. What are the City Council’s respective policies that it wants to the City Manager to instruct the Police to effectuate? Do not expect anything controversial on these issues this election cycle.

The harassment of the Black Lives Matter protesters by the Worcester Police and by some in City Council is unethical and possibly illegal. The City government is wasting people’s money and time by looking for new laws to harass the protesters. Instead it should be having open discussions about real policing policies, including police misconduct. 

City of Surprises

A City Full of Surprises 

There were a few surprises at the Worcester City Council meeting on January 13, 2015.  It was not a surprised that the City Council voted through Councillor Lukes' resolution to support the cops unconditionally and at the same time bash the Black Lives Matter protesters. It was something of a surprise that two Councillors voted against it. This might have been a Profile in Courage moment in their political lives and it might be the end of their political careers. I think that Councillor Rivera is fairly safe and will get reelected. She is a district Councillor in a district that likely supports better police accountability. The same cannot be said for at large Councillor Rushton. It would be a surprise if he is reelected.

Before the City Council meeting it was reported that the Mayor sought some compromise either from Councillor Lukes or from the so called minority communities or both.   Councillor Lukes was at one time a reasonable person and would have compromised, but her personality has changed within the last few years. She refused to change a single word of her mean spirited resolution. This was not surprise.

In a meeting with the so called minority communities Councillor Rivera came up with wording that softened Councillor Lukes’ resolution and a decision was made to make the new wording a friendly amendment. This was surprising as Councillor actually went out on a limb for previously marginalized communities.

A group of protesters and residents spoke against Councillor Lukes’ resolution. This was not a surprise given the numerous protests that have continued since the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Councillor Luke’s reactions to the Black Lives Matter protestors were a surprise.  She became very emotional and said that the cops could not help her to drive out trouble makers who live near her property in the Canal District. She never made it clear the connection between her resolution and the police being able to harass her neighbors into leaving their domicile. Councillor Lukes sounded distraught and tearful when Mayor Petty came to her rescue by telling the audience that she deserved respect.

It was not surprising that Councillor Gaffney, some people say he is in the Tea Party, gave a “I am not a racist “ apology for voting with Councillor Lukes. Councillor Gaffney spoke how he had to work hard to get where he is. He went to school at Worcester State College and worked a full time job at the same time. Like Councillor Lukes it was not clear the connection between his hard work and the resolution.

It was not a surprise when the Mayor would not allow the friendly amendment written by Councillor Rivera to come to a vote. Instead he bowed to the wishes of Councilor Lukes, the Mayor allowed Councillor Rivera’ amendment to be voted on as a separated resolution. It was not a surprised that Councillors seeking cover voted for this separate resolution.

Manager Augustus spoke a few words about the good things being done by the City to resolve the issues. He said that these efforts were not well known. He said that the next class of police officers was half “minority” The surprise is not that what the City is doing is not well known, but that the Manager spoke at all. He has been an absent voice.

When the Black Lives Matter people rose up singing and walked out of the City Council meeting with the passage of Councillor Luke’s resolution, that moment was a surprise. As they were leaving Mayor Petty thanked them for their input. This was an interesting surprise as it showed that there are people in the City who do not see themselves as interlocutors between the people and the powers that that be.

Indirectly related to the events in Worcester is the blockade of I-93. It is a surprise how much energy this issue of police accountability is generating. I would not be surprised if this actually becomes a new civil rights movement.

Playing The Non Racism, I am Neutral Card

Playing the Non Racism Neutral Card

Once hidden over, the open confliction of the duties of the Police, the policy obligations of the City Council, and the demographic changes in the City will be like an open sore for all to see at the January 13, 2015 City Council meeting.  The City Council will pass a resolution supporting the Worcester Police absolutely and attacking the growing number of people especially the so called minorities who protested against police misconduct in Ferguson and in Worcester.

It is a foregone conclusion that the resolution written by Councillor Lukes will pass unchanged from its provocative and mean spirited words. There were some who thought Councillor Rushton would revise Luke’s resolution to be less provocative and leave open the door for dialog.

Many people are angry, disappointed, and feel betrayed by the actions of City Council. Not one City Councillor has said that he would vote against the resolution.  There is discussion among the opponents of the resolution about how to respond to what we consider another in a long line of racist disparities disguised as neutral policy.  Communities United is planning a MLK Day  Potluck Dinner on January 19, 2015 to win support for their efforts and to reclaim the militancy of Martin Luther King Jr. and infuse it into a new civil rights movement.

Communities United Collective and others have taken a lead in the protests at City Council.  Their efforts have put the City somewhat on the defensive. The Police Chief has come out in the press with a “Black on Black” news story. The number of shootings has increased. The statistics and the police’s policy is hard to know as the City Council has no policy regarding the police actions and the City Manager is mum, pretty much letting Chief Gemme do as he sees fit. This issue should be addressed, but the fact that it came out the day before the City Council meeting is evidence of its pretext.

The Police Department has put the pressure on the City Council by alleging that the delay of Councillor Lukes’ resolution has caused morale problem among the ranks. The City Manager who is the supposed boss of the police is nowhere to be found on these issues.  How is it possible the Police Chief can speak for the City department and the City Manager says nothing?

Evidence of racism disguised as neutral policy has been the elections of Councilors. No male person of color has been elected to City Council in my almost fifty years living in Worcester as an adult.  Lenny Cooper, Bill Coleman, Juan Gomez could not get elected, although Juan Gomez was appointed when a Councillor resign.  Women of color have been able to win elections and their elections are well deserved. The racist fear by some in the City of the angry Black man lurks and rears its ugly head every two years.

This year 2015 is a Council election year and no one councilor wants to be seen soft on crime. The City’s demographics are changing. We shall see who votes against the Luke’s resolution and his fate in the elections. Playing the neutral non racism card seems to be getting harder to do.

Lukes, More Harm Than Good

Lukes, More Harm Than Good

 

   There comes a time in everyone’s life when events overtakes him and he is unable to respond to  changes. Time has caught up with Konstantina Lukes, City Councillor in Worcester. That line between harm and good was crossed when she proposed a resolution that called for the support of the police and attacked the protests against police misconduct at the January 7, 2015 City Council meeting.

In many ways her recent actions remind me of former City Clerk Robert J. O’Keefe who would do outrageous and mean spirited things such as put on birth certificates that a baby was a bastard. He denied people the right to register to vote based on flimsy reasons such as whether or not a person was enrolled in a college. Arrogantly Mr. O’ Keefe would say he knew better than anyone else as he had a law degree.

 In the past Councillor Lukes has done some good. She was a Director at the ACLU. She had useful ideas about the City budget. She supported the candidacy of Dr. Boone for Worcester School Superintendant. I remember when Councillor Lukes,  her husband, my wife, and I had breakfast together at Broadway. I found Councillor Lukes to quite personable and gracious.

Her association with the Tea Party and sour grapes about her loss of the Mayoralty to Joe O’Brian   seemed to cause Councillor Lukes to lose her ability to put things in perspective.  Councillor Lukes’ resolution against the protests around Ferguson, NYC, Cleveland and other locations of police misconduct feels like an attempt to reestablish her relevance in a world which is changing before her eyes. The main change has been that the City is now majority “minority”.

 

 When the City was majority White and there were relatively few “minorities”, the liberal White politicians would act as agents for the “minorities “communities. Such a person was Arthur Chase who defended Dr. Goldsberry who tried to set up a facility off of Burncoat St for at risk kids.  I still am grateful for his bravery in the face of a NIMBY reaction. This is changing with more calls for representatives from the “minorities” communities.  Instead of “agents” representing us; there is a need for  representatives who have experienced what we have experienced, felt what we have felt, and can articulate them in a language in which we can relate. At this point Councillor Lukes does not even pretend to feel what we feel; her actions are a provocation.

 

 The Worcester police have not condemned the protests in the mean spirited manner that Councillor Lukes has done.  Some of the police have left open the door for dialog which Councillor Lukes wants to slam shut. I think that Councillor Russell got it right when he said the Councillor Lukes resolution was being used as a wedge issue to divide Worcester. Instead of a wedge there should be more transparency and accountability by the Worcester Police to the public. There should be a discussion of how this is done. Today not even the police can quantify or evaluate its effectiveness, because no one knows or is even attempting to keep track of what the Worcester Police is doing.

 

Councillor Lukes arrogantly challenged the people speaking against her resolution at the January 7, 2015 City Council meeting to vote her out of office. It might be time instead for Councillor Lukes to take stock of what she has done and whether what she has done is more harm than good. It might be time for her to step down and let people more relevant to the times run the City.

What 2015 City Council Candidates Will Not Discuss

 But Should

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 Oversight of the Police.

 

 Oversight of the police does not mean that the cops are doing anything bad. It does mean that what the cops do should be transparent to the residents of Worcester. Right now not even the cops can say that their efforts are successful or effective or not. It is unlikely that the City will set up such over sight, given Councillor Luke’s petition of support for the police department.  It should be overseen, if for no other reason than for  Council to fulfill its duty to set policy.  How can policy be set if no one can say for certain what is going on. Perhaps with Ferguson demonstrations of 2014, a non governmental agency will find the political strength to oversee the cops’ policy.

 

  The Start of the School to Jobs Pipeline.

 

There has been a lot of talk about a school to prison pipeline that has a disparately negative impact on the dark skin and poor children of Worcester Public Schools. It is certainly true that more school discipline is being resolved by police arrests,  adversely affecting many students. It is a certainty that no candidate will talk about the school to prison pipeline; it is time to talk about the school to jobs pipeline.

 

There are many groups in the City helping children and providing mentoring and other help such as the United Way, CAC, YWCA, and others.  It might be time to coordinate these efforts and have the different agencies work in a more coordinated manner to make sure every child gets what she needs to graduate high school, become gainfully employed and lead a successful life. Every child at risk should have a mentor and every child should have something worthwhile to do after school.

 

 

 

  Green Energy Jobs

 

Manager Augustus has proposed sustainable energy for Worcester utilizing solar and other technologies on top of the public garages and at the Greenwood Dump. I hope that the City Councillor candidates discuss who gets these jobs and how the realized savings are  distributed and whether additional programs are doable.

 

 

The Franchise for Worcester Residents

 

Many Worcester Residents are not citizens of the United States. Neither Massachusetts nor Worcester has citizens; the people who live here are residents. Which means that some residents of Worcester cannot vote in Worcester only elections such as  the City Council and School Committee races.   A large proportion of the City’s residents is not represented by the City Council, although Councillors will say they listen to everyone.  Residents of Worcester who cannot vote send their children to Public Schools and have their streets plowed, and pay taxes, just like citizens. This seems to violate the principle of the American Revolution, “No taxation without representation”. Although unlikely to be taken up by any candidate, I look forward to this discussion.