Coral Gables commissioner: South Florida elected officials must listen and do more to end racism
As communities across the country continue to express anger, anguish, and fear over the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing problem of unequal justice, we as local elected officials carry a greater responsibility than ever.
In his recently released public statement, former President George W. Bush noted “this is not the time for us to lecture. It is time for us to listen.” In his own statement, former President Barack Obama encouraged us to “get to work” while noting that “the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels.”
Over the last week, we have watched as countless Americans exercise their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Yes, some have turned to violence and that cannot be accepted. But the vast majority – people of all backgrounds and ethnicities – have peacefully assembled to express themselves.
Last weekend in Coral Gables, hundreds of protesters gathered on Miracle Mile and marched to Coral Gables City Hall, where 22 heads of local law enforcement agencies were present to engage in a dialogue. Grievances were openly aired.
And everyone present – protesters and law enforcement officials together – took a knee and joined in a group prayer session led by a local religious leader. I commend Coral Gables Police Chief Ed Hudak who, as District Director for the Florida Police Chiefs Association, served as the spokesman for his peers and subsequently organized a follow-up Zoom meeting between the protesters and our local chiefs of police to continue discussing these important issues. This type of ongoing, constructive dialogue is essential. As the adage goes, we must be the change we want to see in the world.
With that said, and as proud as I am of everyone in attendance for this peaceful and constructive display in our City, this is not the time to rest on our laurels.
I fully recognize that some parts of our county have been more impacted by racial injustice than others, but we all have a role to play and can all benefit from listening to others and ensuring that our policing practices respect and protect civil rights.
We must all strive to pursue policy changes that combat structural racism. Though the George Floyd incident did not occur in South Florida, we must nevertheless do everything in our collective power to ensure that a similar crime is never perpetrated by one of our own, and to address the fear, anger, and anxiety that continue to envelop our communities.
In an era of hyper-partisanship and increasing tribalism, it is incumbent upon us to lead. One of the things I love about local government is that it is non-partisan. People can engage in substantive dialogue about the issues facing their community instead of resorting to party talking points. And yes, we have the greatest proximity and ability to reform police departments and, in some of our cases, the criminal justice system.
In that spirit, I am placing a discussion item on our next Commission meeting agenda for June 9th titled, “Discussion regarding the steps our Coral Gables Police Department and City Administration will take to continue self-evaluating and implementing policies that combat structural racism and incentivize just policing practices.”
I have asked our Chief Hudak and Assistant Chief of Police Hajir Nuriddin to address our current policies and engage in a constructive dialogue relating to several topics, including our training measures, early intervention and disciplinary efforts, and collective bargaining practices.
Anyone wishing to speak on these matters at our meeting will be welcome.
The ultimate goal is to take action to adopt data-driven policy solutions to avoid violence and hold ourselves accountable.
I ask that you place an identical item on the agenda for your next Commission meeting, to listen to members of your community, and to challenge your law enforcement departments to engage in genuine and immediate introspection.
Our country has faced these issues of social injustice and the vestiges of slavery for the entirety of our lives and longer. It is not enough to be a social media warrior. There are no words that will suffice. It is time for action.
We can do more. We must do more. We must listen. We must act. We must commit.
Our people rightfully demand it. What will we do?
Michael O. Mena,
Commissioner
City of Coral Gables
