Amid Protests, SLC Police Chief Holds Listening Session With Community Leaders
Jun 2, 2020, 9:23 PM | Updated: 9:24 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Prominent community members met privately with Salt Lake City police Chief Mike Brown and Mayor Erin Mendenhall on Tuesday to discuss police policies and procedures.
The group met as the city is still cleaning up after protests on Saturday turned violent.
A police spokesperson said the purpose of the meeting was to be transparent and get feedback about how officers are trained regarding the use of force, arrest techniques, body cameras and conduct standards.
Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, attended the two-hour meeting and said she and others were able to share their stories and experiences with the police department and city leaders.
“For me, it was being able to get information so that as I am interacting with those individuals in our community who are frustrated and angry that I can have that productive conversation with them,” Hollins said.
"I just want to tell each one of you in this room that I love you," said @ChiefMikeBrown to community leaders. @slcpd and @slcmayor met with prominent leaders for a listening session and police review. @KSL5TV @KSLcom @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/DAOkfsXe9A
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) June 3, 2020
Members of the media were allowed to join the last half hour of the meeting and witnessed Brown speaking candidly to the dozen community leaders gathered in person and through video conference.
“I just want to tell each one of you in this room that I love you,” he said. “That I appreciate the influence you’ve had in my life personally.”
At the end of the meeting, Brown gave his cell phone number to those in attendance. He instructed them to call him to talk about any issues with his police force and promised that complaints would be investigated.
“Every one of you is important to this police department,” he added.
Afterward, attendee Kamaal Ahmad said he appreciated the openness and transparency displayed in the meeting.
“That’s why we need to be a model for the rest of the nation,” Ahmed said. “It’s unbelievable. This is the fourth state I’ve lived in and I’ve never seen like this.”
Below is a list of the attendees as provided by Salt Lake City Police:
Mike Brown, chief, Salt Lake City Police Department
Erin Mendenhall, mayor, Salt Lake City
Corey Hodges, chaplain, Utah Jazz
Dr. William Smith, prof. and chair of Education, Culture, and Society, University of Utah
Jeanetta Williams, president, NAACP Utah and Tri-State Conference
Dr. France Davis, pastor (ret.), Calvary Baptist Church
Rep. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City
Ron McBride, coach (ret.), University of Utah Football
Kathy Stokes, public health (ret.), SLCPD Community Advisory Board
Forrest Crawford, prof. of Teacher Education, Weber State University
David Hollins, chairman, Civil Service Commission
Dr. David Parker, prof., University of Utah
Ahmad Corbitt, Young Men General Presidency, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Kamaal Ahmad, coach, Weber State University Football
