Local police officers are considering ways to connect with students
After what could have been considered a tumultuous year for police-community relations, Athens and Ohio University police officers are considering ways to better connect with students — but not ways to change their policing tactics.
While OU students were on winter break, local police officers were acknowledging the deaths of two New York police officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, who were killed Dec. 20 by Ismaaiyl Brinsley in what has been described as an ambush-style attack.
Officers in Athens were seen wearing a black band around their badges — a sign of mourning — from about Dec. 21 until Jan. 4 to show solidarity, but still conclude that policing in Athens will not be affected by recent controversy.
“I know these things happen. I’m out in the public every day,” Athens Police Capt. Ralph Harvey said. “I think about these things, but I’m not going to change everything I do.”
Harvey said he does not think the fatal attack could build any tension between local police and Athens residents.
“Officers should always be on alert for these kind of things,” Harvey said. “This is not the first nor is it the last ambush, essentially, on a police officer.”
Brinsley’s social media postings suggest the shooting was an act of revenge for the deaths of two unarmed black men — Eric Garner and Michael Brown — both killed by police officers.
The nature of the Garner and Brown’s deaths sparked a series of protests on campus and within the Athens community last semester.
OU students gathered at Baker University Center Nov. 24 following the grand jury decision to not indict Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
A second round of protests took place on Dec. 5 after following the Staten Island grand jury decision to not indict the officer who killed Garner. More than 50 people — students and Athens community members — marched down the middle of Court Street and later held a “die-in” in Cutler Hall before ending the protest in the OU Baker Center.
Though proposed before the protests and deaths of Garner and Brown, the OU Police Department will be hosting “Coffee with a Cop” Jan. 22 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Baker Center’s Front Room coffee shop to provide students, faculty and community members the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns, on top of getting to know local officers.
“‘Coffee with a Cop’ is our (OUPD) attempt to proactively seek out, facilitate and maintain a positive line of communication with the community.” OUPD Lt. Eric Hoskinson said in an email to The Post. “It is our firm belief that policing a community is a team effort with many stakeholders, and ‘Coffee with a Cop’ is merely one way we hope to nurture that relationship.”
Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said the most important thing police officers can do to improve community relations is to realize the source of authority does not come from a governmental body or legislation, but from the people they serve.
“Every day a police officer should remind themselves that their badge means community, first and foremost.” Pyle said. “So, we remind them of that … If they can remember that, they won’t have the problems that other places do.”
Jay McDonald, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, said the officers he represented felt sympathy for the families of the officers who have been killed in ambush-style attacks, but McDonald added Ohio officers also felt more resolve to serve and to protect.
“It’s a tough time to be an officer right now,” McDonald said.
Athens city council members, APD and OUPD have organized several events to try to improve community relations.
In late September, the Joint Police Advisory Council had its first community barbeque to serve food to students and Athens community members. That event was meant to highlight law enforcement’s commitment to building and improving the relationship between the police and the civilians they serve.
Before “Coffee with a Cop,” the department had “Ask the Chiefs” sessions. OUPD was also in the process of implementing a ride-along program approved last semester.
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