Berea-Midpark students, police Dare to Dialogue on police use of force: Community Voices - cleveland.com

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Berea-Midpark students, police Dare to Dialogue on police use of force: Community Voices - cleveland.com Posted: 26 Feb 2021 12:24 PM PST BEREA, Ohio -- In 2018, Adrian Griffin made what he calls "an unfortunate decision" to break into a neighbor's home. The homeowner was a Marine Corps veteran who restrained Griffin until police arrived. It took four officers to get Griffin under control. One of the arresting officers was Dan Clark, now the Berea chief of police. "They were doing what they had to do," Griffin said. Fast forward to 2021. Griffin, Clark and other city officials were part of a forum at Berea-Midpark High School to discuss police use of force. The Dare to Dialogue discussion was live-streamed throughout the school so all students could take part. Berea-Midpark High School students and city officials get ready for their Dare to Dialogue panel discussion about police use of force. Berea Mayor Cyril Kleem, Police Chief Dan Clark and the students had worked on the program since last October. (Linda G. Kramer/City of Berea)Linda G. Kramer The forum was organized by students in Titan Pride, Realizing Your Potential and the boys basketball team. It was triggered by incidents during the past year between white police officers and Black men nationwide. Besides Griffin and Clark, panelists included Mayor Cyril Kleem, Law/Safety Director Barbara Jones and School Resource Officer Chuck Gute. Students Joseph Matese and AJ Comer were facilitators. Students submitted dozens of questions, which were distilled by teacher Sherri Fox and Susan Malone, coordinator of Realizing Your Potential, a support group for at-risk youth. Griffin, who graduated from Berea-Midpark, said his two run-ins with Berea police changed his life. "There is no single definition of use of force," Griffin said. Gute agreed. Each situation is different, he said. The official Berea police Use of Force policy is 50 pages long and covers many situations, Gute said. "Police are people, too," he said. "I want to go home to my family. We don't want to get hurt either." "It's never our goal to harm someone," Clark said. "Our job is to minimize the threat." Officers could be dealing with someone high on drugs. The person could be younger, stronger. "There are a lot emotions going on," Clark said. "Use of force always has to be reasonable," Jones added. "There is a wide range of what reasonable means. Police have to make adjustments immediately depending on the situation." Griffin said he didn't think police used too much force to restrain him. In fact, once he was admitted to the hospital, he had to be strapped to the bed. "I was searching for help," Griffin said. Berea police officers undergo constant training throughout the year on use of force, dealing with people who have mental health issues, and diversity. The training never stops, Clark said. "We want officers to be well-rounded. Most of us got this job because we want to serve," he said. Jones said the law enforcement profession is changing. Years ago, officers looked pretty much the same and had similar backgrounds. "Now, you see people of all different backgrounds," she said. Many officers have college degrees. They must graduate from a police academy, take a civil service test, and pass psychological and physical exams. Plus, they must go through extensive field training before they hit the streets. They also must pass a polygraph test. There are no Black officers on the Berea police force. But it's not for lack of trying, Kleem said. "We have made every effort to hire a more diverse group of officers," he said. "The issue is not in the effort, it's in the result. Members with more diverse backgrounds don't apply and don't go into this profession." Clark said one of his major goals is to have the Berea Police Department "reflect the community we serve." There have been calls nationally to defund the police in wake of police violence against Blacks, but the mayor said Berea won't be doing that. "There are things that happened last summer (nationwide) that never should have happened," he said. "Racism is a problem in this country. We're working to take care of those issues. It's important to maintain our objectivity. Make a decision based on facts, not emotions." Clark said when he is confronted by a person who is violent or is causing a problem, "I'm looking at the threat. Race doesn't play a role." Griffin said it's important to learn the facts about each situation with police. "Get the full story," he said. Not just one side. Kleem agreed. "Don't look at each situation from your own perspective. Get all the information," he said. Gute said change needs to involve the whole community. "If we're going to effect change, it starts here and now with this school, the family and homes and the community. If we change it here at Berea-Midpark High School, it will spread," he said. Malone said the Dare to Dialogue program will be ongoing, with additional panel discussions in the future.

R37m Beitbridge fence will not be fixed - those who built it still contracted - TimesLIVE Posted: 26 Feb 2021 03:54 AM PST On Friday she responded. De Lille said an accounting officer had performed a detailed technical condition assessment of the fence and the outcome was found to be against the recommendations of Scopa - which was to rectify all physical defects in the fence "in line with all applicable regulations". "As the fence, in its current form, is not fit for purpose and in material non-compliance with the specifications, the department has taken a decision not to entertain the possibility of any further repairs of the fence. "Any further border fence initiatives will be located in the context of the integrated border management solution under way. In this regard, the site clearance process is aimed at being completed by June this year." She said a best practice approach on border security, in consultation with the department of defence, would be published by the end of March 2021. De Lille said security vetting for supply chain management personnel was a lengthy process and the reason was that only seven vetting officials had to vet 253 bids. She described a protracted process, which included completing lengthy documents, after which officers had to go and interview the official being vetted, compile a report, as well as undertake a polygraph test. Once this was completed, the files had to go to security clearance, which could take up to a year to process.

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