Local residents say more social justice work needed

May 27—One year later, there have been some social and criminal justice changes in the U.S., but more work is needed, according to some local residents.

"In my opinion, the only things that have changed are the intentionality of businesses, organizations and some individuals taking a stance against overt racism," says Tricia Teague, 47, of Danville.

Teague is founder/chief executive officer of The Trep School and was elected in April to serve on the Danville City Council as one of 14 aldermen.

"Some of my white friends reached out to me to start conversations about race. Shortly after (George) Floyd's death, most large corporations, particularly those who are consumer facing, issued statements denouncing racism. In some of the business groups I'm in, especially those with other Black business owners, it felt like 'Black was the new Black' or the new IT thing because so many mainstream audiences were going out of their way to partner with and/or support Black-owned businesses," Teague said.

She continued, "However, as it relates to systemic issues that are the products of racism, not much has changed. Which means, for the every day lives of African Americans, whatever changes there are have been negligible at this point. It's also unrealistic to think that there would be noticeable change in such a short time. The proverbial house that was built on racism didn't get constructed overnight. It was actually more than a couple of hundred years. It's going to take more than one year to dismantle it."

Mary Catherine Roberson, 37, of Danville, is a community relations specialist, Office of Equity, Community and Human Rights for a local government entity.

She's also criminal justice chair for the NAACP Danville Branch 3009.

"We have seen great potential for change in the last year. We have seen that officers can be held accountable, but at what cost? It was only in the most egregious instance, videotaped, and after national protests and unrest that we were able to see 'justice' for George Floyd in any capacity," Roberson said. "However, justice cannot be brought about with one court decision. Justice is a larger issue which requires systemic and policy change."

She said that the nation is at a point in history where, with bold leadership and restorative ideals, it has the potential for significant change.

"Officers like Derek Chauvin [convicted of murder charges in Floyd's death] must be held accountable the first time they violate the public's trust. Departments must hold their own accountable when the cameras aren't rolling. We must ensure that our residents are educated about their rights, including their right to file complaints against the police. Police departments must practice transparency with these complaints and follow-up," Roberson said.

She continued, "In my opinion, this is where the change will come. When we build police-community relations strong enough that officers and departments hold each other accountable for transgressions. When community members seek out police officers for help, instead of refusing to speak with them due to historical distrust. We as a community also must be willing to have difficult conversations with law enforcement and give them the opportunity to address these issues. I believe that if we work together, we can strengthen relationships, increase transparency, and work toward a more just criminal justice system. The time is now."

In February, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a criminal justice bill into law backed by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, abolishing cash bail, overhauling police certification and reforming use-of-force standards among numerous other provisions.

Law enforcement groups decried the massive criminal justice reform bill, referring to the legislation as anti-police with provisions that will lead to unintended consequences.

House Bill 3653, referred to as the "Safe-T Act," ends the use of cash bail by 2023 and grants increased state oversight of police agencies statewide, among other provisions. Law enforcement and Republican lawmakers opposed the legislation, citing problematic language in some provisions, while maintaining support for the law's intent.

Supporters of the bill, including its chief sponsors and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, have admitted the need for trailer bills to rectify issues in the act's language, but they have characterized that as a normal part of the legislative process.

State Rep. Mike Marron R-Fithian, was one of those opposed to the new law.

"Legislation aiming to alter the very foundation of policing in Illinois must not be jammed through the last minute of veto session," Marron had said previously. "Not to mention there is no support from any law enforcement group, Republican legislator or the overwhelming majority of our state's prosecutors."

The bill creates hundreds of new regulations and rules on law enforcement, Marron said, but fails to bring any reforms to reduce crime or help criminals change their behavior.

"Further restricting the ability of law enforcement to do their job makes us all less safe," Marron said. "I voted no on this bill for several reasons, but I was most ashamed of the partisan process for bringing this 611-page behemoth to the floor and the backroom dealings to get this bill passed."

Danville Police Chief Chris Yates says he is working his way through the new state law to assess its effects on the police department, such as mandatory body cameras for all patrol officers.

Yates said Danville police officers last year started using body cameras as part of their uniforms.

The department in 2020 purchased 26 body-worn cameras thanks to a grant. In 2021, the department purchased 40 additional body-worn cameras for each officer to have their own.