By Andrew Keaton
On July 9th of 2020 the ABC News Headline read: SPRINGFIELD, MASS. POLICE NARCOTICS SQUAD ROUTINELY USED EXCESSIVE FORCE: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT and began with an officer allegedly threatened to crush a youth’s skull and “get away with it.”
The Springfield Police Department has been plagued with cover-ups, rogue detectives, falsifying police reports, police brutality, equating to an “F” rating from their friends at the Department of Justice, not to mention covering up of BLM MURAL defacing, illegal Investigations on a Mayors Aide and other Black City employees and community activists. The confiscation of weapons by a licensed carry holder – violating his constitutional rights.
There are too many stories of police and municipal abuse and oppressive behavior, today’s story isn’t too much different.Most recently, the Greater Mass Seniors Action Council hosted a town hall for African American seniors and Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood. The purpose of the meeting was to address issues and challenges of concern to Black seniors in the city of Springfield. Issues echoed by groups like the Pioneer Valley Project, the Springfield NAACP, The Springfield City Council, the Department of Justice and numerous other concerned organizations and residents.
Issues like systemic racism, and police reform. Seniors took the opportunity to share their observations lived experiences with the Springfield Police Department. Greater Springfield Mass Senior Action Council President, Mattie Lacewell, stated “the purpose of the meeting was to establish a dialogue with the police commissioner and to get her views on police reform. We were hoping to discuss significant changes that could enhance the quality of service to the community, sadly, she basically reclarified what she said on December 19th, that there was no racism nor issues of police brutality in her department and there is no need for reform.
Lacewell goes on to say she did not expect the police commissioner to welcome them with open arms, but also didn’t expect such aggressive hostility towards the elderly members of the Black community “I was blown away by her attitude, I was really surprised by the malice and aggression, I’m just lost for words.” Lacewell’s sentiments were echoed by Joyce Davis, Membership coordinator for the organization and a beloved member of the African American community. Davis stated, “during the meeting when I read the questions that we had come up with, she acted as if she had no compassion, everything we mentioned she denied everything we brought up she said it wasn’t true, All I can tell you is everywhere you look there is a problem in the Springfield police department Especially when dealing with seniors and young black men.”
On July 8, 2020, the Justice Department announced that it had found reasonable cause to believe the officers in the Springfield, Massachusetts, Police Department (SPD) engaged in a lethal pattern or practice of using excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
During its investigation, the Justice Department conducted an in-depth review of SPD documents, including over 100,000 pages of written policies and procedures, training materials, and internal reports, data, video footage, and investigative files. Justice Department attorneys and investigators also conducted interviews with SPD officers, supervisors and command staff, and city officials, and met with community members and local advocates.
The city’s Mayor, Domenic Sarno conducted three (3) roundtable conversations open to residents to address issues and concerns, to which neither the mayor nor the Police Commissioner issued responses to the concerns raised. Clapprood during the last of the mayor’s public conversations on December 19th finally shared a response candidly stating “If I saw an issue or a problem that I saw or thought was systemic, I don’t see systemic racism in the department. You’re gonna have some officers with some prejudices.”
Disappointed and frustrated members like Bernice Ezell said “I expected the commissioner to come and listen and be a good listener attempt to understand and address our observations, where we stand and what we have witnessed. It is obvious that she is completely incapable of showing empathy and seeing what we shared of our experiences. She cannot see what we see, her vision, It’s quite different from ours. I was extremely disappointed that she didn’t show any sensitivity at all.”
Many of the city’s Black residents believe that the police commissioner clearly the ability to identify racism in her department nor in herself. To address systems of racial inequity, it is necessary to speak of or at least mention the factors that lead to the need to address said issue.
Lacewell reiterated that the goal of the meeting was to discuss the police culture, systemic racism, and how to improve the relationship between the Police and the Springfield community. Lacewell said “to the group’s dismay, Clapprood responded via an email letter restating what she communicated during the meeting “”My department is not racist, nor do we suffer from systematic racism.”
Meeting participant, Mary Brainerd, said “I was appalled by the commissioner’s lack of education and her inability to comprehend and understanding the function and impact of systemic racism. She further stated that Clapprood’s assertion that “there is no racism in the Springfield police department and that the number of white officers versus black officers is the same. I was taken aback by it! It is simply unbelievable. The police commissioner is undoubtedly not educated on current and past history and is clearly out of touch.”
On April 6, 2020, the ACLU, the ACLU of Massachusetts, and the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) have filed a lawsuit calling for an investigation into the Springfield Police Department (SPD) for alleged violence and misconduct. The lawsuit makes note of the DOJ’s report detailing six years of egregious, excessive force and false reporting by the SPD. The report found that no entity, including the District Attorney’s office, thoroughly investigated officers accused of misconduct, or to inform defendants about misconduct by officers who could testify against them. “As we’ve seen nationwide in recent episodes of police abuse followed by prosecutorial inaction, prosecutors and police too often serve and protect each other, instead of the public,” said Somil Trivedi, Senior Staff Attorney in the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project.
Lacewell says enough is enough and is calling for residents to join them at a rally at City Hall 36 Court Street in Springfield, MA on June 9th calling for the removal of Cheryl Clapprood, a Wilbraham, Massachusetts resident from her position as Police Commissioner for the Springfield Police Department.
