Thomas died after being Tasered by Swissvale police Aug. 4. 
The Community Empowerment Association, along with the Brother to Brother Leadership Forum, organized the discussion to address police policies on the use of deadly force, the extent of sensitivity and cultural training law enforcement receives and strategies for solutions regarding youths and decreasing their encounters with the law.
The mayor of Swissvale, Deneen Swartzwelder, and Greg Geepert, Swissvale’s chief of police, were asked to be present, but due to a prior engagement, Geepert was unable to attend. “I hope that this lack of representation on the chief’s behalf is not at all a reflection of his lack of concern for the loss of a Black man,” said Rashad Byrdsong, director of the C.E.A and founder of Brother to Brother.
A woman in the room said that even though the chief was unable to be there, he could have sent a representative on his behalf at least to show his concern and sincerity regarding the incident and concerns of Swissvale residents.
With the absence of the chief, the discussion on the use of deadly force and other police policies was very limited due to the lack of knowledge and expertise about the policies. In spite of persistent questioning, the mayor wasn’t inclined to disclose her knowledge of the policies.
“I am not at liberty to discuss the policies at this time. Because the incident is still under investigation I am legally not allowed to discuss the policies,” Swartzwelder said. She went on to explain that the policies would be released to the public later on in the investigation.
The attendees expressed great dissatisfaction with her apprehensiveness about disclosing policies on excessive force, particularly the policies involving the use of Tasers.
“That’s ridiculous that public documents have been made inaccessible to the public,” said Genie Beckhom, a Swissvale resident. “It’s frustrating that you as our mayor, the person who represents us, can’t disclose any information. We have a right to be made aware of these public policies and documents.”
“No taxation without representation!” said Michelle J. Coker of Monroeville. “We need to watch who we are voting for because whatever the policies may be, we voted for the councilmen and mayors who approved them. We need to educate ourselves on the policies we want and those that we don’t want gotta go.”
MAKING HER POINT—Cynthia Knight speaks as others look on.
In an attempt to mediate and regain order, Byrdsong said, “A Black man, a human being has met his fate at the hands of state apparatus, but no one can say anything for legal reasons. We are frustrated but we can’t point our fingers at the mayor. We’re trying to come up with solutions, not get madder.”
“We can’t sit in here and talk about the police and all the wrong they’ve done in our communities and not get mad,” said Lance, a young man who would not give his last name. “They’ve been abusing us and getting away with it for years because people are so set on being polite and politically correct,” said the lifelong resident of Swissvale and friend of Thomas. “We gotta be angry and speak up against this. Now I’m not saying we got to lash out and act stupid but (Andre) was my man and I’m mad!”
The passionate man ignited a maelstrom in the room and many who were once silent became vocal. Issues of race and lack of funding for the area’s youths were vocalized. One man expressed the infrequency of Black police abusing White citizens.
Les Scales, one of the few young people present at the forum counteracted the man’s comment by saying, “I may be naive, but I don’t think (police) start their day saying, ‘Today, I want to kill someone.’”
Cynthia Knight, another Swissvale resident, requested that residents start assuming some accountably for their own community. She challenged them to get more organized and vocal in things they want seen accomplished and things they want to eliminate. She then suggested that the police officers are probably just as much afraid of the residents as the residents are of them.
Coker interjected, “But that’s what they signed up for when they pursued their professions—to protect and serve. They’re supposed to be putting the lives of their constituents before their own.”
Swartzwelder commented that if this police and law enforcement bashing controlled these gatherings, law enforcement officials would be hesitant about showing up, getting involved and working with the community to resolve the issues.
Jasiri X, a student minister, who said he was representing Minister Farrakhan, agreed but also said, “We can’t tiptoe around race. Issues involving race, whether it be Black and White or black and blue, must be acknowledged in order to reach honest, healthy dialogue. Not until then, will we be able to discuss cultural competency.”
Robert Clanagon, a family support specialist said, “We can’t expect or even address community and police relationships without first confronting cultural competency and sensitivity.” Others suggested that police race ratios match that of the community’s race ratios in an effort to improve things.
Reverend Sheldon Stoudemire, a Clairton resident said, “I grew up in the Swissvale area and back then the Swissvale police were more community-oriented than they are now.”
Stoudemire shared the success of a community breakfast with the officers of the bureau and surrounding bureaus. The breakfast, held in 1998, was said to help ease the turmoil between the Black community and the officers. He encouraged more talks like this involving the community and Swissvale police.
Another resident inquired about police department sponsored sports leagues. “These kids need something to do— something positive.”
Sign-up sheets for committees and existing programs were passed around and the forum, which began in prayer, was concluded in an uplifting prayer from Stoudemire and ended on a positive note.
(More information about The Community Empowerment Association or Brother to Brother can be found at http://www.ceapittsburgh.org/ or by calling 412-371-3689.)