Confronting police brutality in Providence

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--Police and city officials who came to speak at a meeting called "Working Together for Safer Neighborhoods" faced a chilly reception on a cold January 20 night from activists and community members who came to raise the issue of police brutality.

The meeting was called by a local state senator--panelists included the chief of police, superintendent of the state police and three members of the attorney general's office. They were presented as "experts" on violence in our community--though few of them actually live in the city.

Seizing on the opportunity to confront top law enforcement officials in one location, nearly 50 people lined the entrance with signs such as "Police Brutality IS Violence in Our Community," and chanted "Jobs and education, not incarceration!" and "Hey hey, ho ho, police brutality has got to go!" while being loomed over by a Providence police horse (with officer).

Members of the local community had been holding organizing meetings to get the message out that more police in our community equals more violence--and that it's the militarization and violence of the police that concerns the community. The Providence police recently received $3.5 million in federal stimulus money to hire 13 more police officers. We all know that what prevents violence is jobs, housing and education, not another task force!

What brought this group together was a call from community activists to respond to the beating of a 20-year-old Pawtucket resident. The handcuffed man was brutally assaulted by an officer wielding a flashlight. The event, which was captured on video, shows the violent beating, and the six other officers simply observing.

The victim was 20-year-old Luis Mendonca, who was charged with breaking and entering, and later with assault on two RISD campus police officers.

Mendonca's attorney says that following the beating, his client was rushed to Rhode Island Hospital--he required 12 staples to close a gash in the back of his head and was in a coma for nearly three days. The officers remained on duty for nearly two months afterwards until finally being placed on administrative duty.

AT THE community briefing, the Spanish interpreter quickly ran out of headsets, and more people were standing than there were in chairs. People quietly gave space to the planned program, but it soon became obvious that they were there to make their voices heard. The common phrase "we want to hear from you" inspired rising grumbling from the crowd until the dam broke, and people began to speak.

One common theme was the misdirection of resources from prevention (jobs, education, programs) to incarceration (police). The crowd booed loudly when Police Chief Dean Esserman talked about doubling the size of the Gang Unit, and again when he proudly asserted that he's put police in every school. One teacher from Met School stunned Esserman by saying his students are more in fear of the Providence police than other youth.

Activist "Doc" St. Germain asked the crowd to clap if they lived in Providence. Nearly the whole room clapped, and only Esserman did from the panel. Doc then asked people to clap if they have ever been a victim of police brutality, known someone who was, or witnessed witnessed, had someone close to them be a victim of police brutality. The clapping sounded just the same. He turned to the panel and said, "You should be horrified by that response."

A young woman asked the police chief point blank: "When will you arrest Detective DiCarlo for assault with a deadly weapon?" The room filled with applause. The panel of experts had blank faces.

A veteran activist of the community called out state Sen. Juan Pichardo for putting this forum together without a single African-American on the panel.

The crowd also had experts, including those who read law enforcement's own data, such as Brother Everett Muhammed and Nick Horton. They pointed out that racial profiling does exist and the crime rate hasn't gone up. Law enforcement officials, including Chief Esserman, have recently been capitalizing on a slight increase in murders for one year.

Teny Gross of the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence explained how our government's priorities aren't in synch with the rest of the world--as evidenced by the fact that the U.S. has more prisoners than any other country in the world.

But on the panel, the theme of blaming the community and not law enforcement was echoed by representatives of the crime division of the attorney general's office, who complained that we aren't cooperating enough with investigations.

Ray Watson of the Mount Hope Community Center) educated the panel on "respect and relationships," pointing out that officials like them only show up to speak at the community and aren't involved with our issues and events.

A teacher got a roar of applause for suggesting that the money for increasing the gang unit should be put into jobs, education and community programs. Esserman replied, "I think I agree with you"--and proceeded to talk about all the investment the police department is putting into the schools.

As of January 25, Mendonca--the victim of the police beating--had been released from jail to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and faces possible deportation.

Those who gathered to confront the panelists are planning a follow-up meeting to discuss future work. Interested individuals should attend the meeting at Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE) on February 9 at 6 p.m. on Lockwood Street in Providence.