Residents slam consultant picked to review Raleigh police actions in riots
City officials on Tuesday hired a Chicago-based consultant to look at the tactics Raleigh police used to control crowds after protests turned violent last month.
21CP Solutions will be paid at least $87,500 from the police department's budget to review the department's policies and procedures and then assess how officers responded to the May 30-31 protests. The firm will provide its findings and recommendations by September.
The demonstrations started as marches through downtown to protest the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis days earlier. But the protests devolved into riots and looting after dark, and police responded to rocks and bottles being thrown by deploying tear gas and firing rubber bullets into crowds.
"This report will specifically highlight and address areas of concern that have been identified in this process, including, but not limited to, the use of tear gas during the protests," City Manager Ruffin Hall said.
Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown requested the outside review last week, Hall noted, and he wanted to move fast to hire 21CP because they and other law enforcement consulting firms are "in high demand" nationwide right now.
"We want to get the work going as soon as possible, given the urgency and critical nature of the work," he said. "These events really have been heartbreaking and devastating for our entire community."
Deck-Brown told the City Council that the department also is performing its own review of the incidents and its policies and procedures, adding that "some change is needed and welcomed."
"As the police chief, I can say some change is needed," she said. ""COVID-19, along with the events of the past two weeks, will reshape how we do business as a police department and, hopefully, as a city and, more importantly, as a country."
Councilman Saige Martin questioned the selection of 21CP for the review, noting that almost all of its employees are former police chiefs or otherwise tied to law enforcement.
"I just want to flag that calling them completely independent is a bit of stretch," Martin said. "I think that it's disappointing that we didn't find a better alternative that brought forward a truly independent review."
Numerous residents also slammed the move and criticized the council for not cutting funding to the police department in approving the city's 2020-21 budget on Monday.
Jes Coggins noted that 21CP provided recommendations to Minnesota law enforcement last year, but that didn't prevent Floyd's death.
"I have zero faith they will bring safety to Raleigh," Coggins said.
"21CP is an absolute joke," agreed Matthew Sasso.
The police department last week banned the use of chokeholds and adopted other use-of-force policy changes that have come to be known as "8 Can't Wait." But residents also criticized that as an empty gesture, saying no penalty has been spelled out for officers who violate any of the changes.
"Specifying which ways cops can be violent will not save people who suffer from their abuse," Skyler Bunn said.
Others said Raleigh would be better served spending money on organizations that would help the homeless and people with mental illness instead of putting police on the front lines of dealing with those people.
Some people did express support for the police department and said officers need more funding, not less, to rebuild community trust.
