On her first full day in office, April 19, Mayor Lyda Krewson secured the resignation of Police Chief Sam Dotson, whose leadership had been called into question throughout the Democratic primary that Krewson narrowly won on March 7. The American sat down with the mayor on Tuesday, April 25 to ask her about her process for replacing Dotson and hiring a new director of Public Safety. This is the full transcription of that interview. Krewson’s spokesman Koran Addo also was present and answered one question.
The American: Are you considering a national search for both chief and public safety director?
Mayor Lyda Krewson: We are going to do a search. That means it could be local, it could be national. It will be both, but one doesn’t preclude the other.
The American: So you are going to include national candidates.
Krewson: Isn’t that what I just said?
The American: I just wanted to clarify. I know that you received a letter from Forward Through Ferguson [regarding the process the mayor should take in searching for the chief and Public Safety director.] I spoke with Rebeccah Bennett [a Forward Through Ferguson board member] this morning and I just wanted to run a few of her comments by you and get your thoughts. She said that there is no way to achieve racial equity without the community being centered in the decision making. And Forward Through Ferguson would like to see you enter into the space of “reconciliation and repair.” Because there is an extraordinarily deep lack of trust between the community and the officers and public safety leadership, the search is an opportunity for you to mend this relationship by including the community in the decision-making process. What are your thoughts on that assessment?
Krewson: Certainly I do see this as an opportunity to, of course, have community input, but also to select – we won’t choose someone who we don’t think has that ability.
The American: Has what ability?
Krewson: Wasn’t that the question? The ability to reconcile.
The American: I think her main point in reconciliation was to include the community in the process of the search – and that opportunity for you.
Krewson: Who are we reconciling here?
The American: She said that because there is a deep lack of trust between the community, the officers and Public Safety leadership…
Krewson: Then what? Go on, maybe I didn’t…
The American: Then the search itself is an opportunity for you to mend the relationship.
Krewson: I agree with that. Yes, the search process is an opportunity to demonstrate that we care about what the community thinks. And then the selection and what results from the search is similarly.
The American: Rebeccah strongly encouraged community forums. What do you think about including those?
Krewson: I think there likely will be some community forums. I know that ESOP [the Ethical Society of Police] reached out, saying that they were planning on having some. So, yeah, I expect that there will be some community forums. It’s only been six days [since she took office].
The American: I know that ESOP is planning on having them. Are you going to be collaborating with them in those forums? Are you going to be attending?
Krewson: I don’t know the answer to that because I don’t what they have in mind, but as I said we will seek community input.
The American: CAPCR [the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression] is spearheading the effort among community groups to present a statement regarding what they would like to see in the search process. They are suggesting that you or your administration establish a diverse committee who reaches out to the community and puts together a description of what the community wants. And then writes the job descriptions for both the chief and director. They propose a search process that uses a hybrid of this kind of committee and a professional search committee, who has better connections nationally.
Krewson: We just met yesterday with the Personnel director to talk about what our process will be. Certainly that is evolving as we speak, and it probably will include some professional organizations and associations that will likely have a broader reach.
The American: Do you think a hybrid might be a good opportunity? To include a professional and also a community committee – that your administration establishes?
Krewson: That’s certainly something to be considered. We will have community input, and we will have professional input and I don’t know if there will be a hybrid committee or not. That’s an interesting idea.
The American: Have you spoken with officers and both police unions about your selection of Lt Col. Larry O’Toole as interim chief?
Krewson: I have not.
The American: How did you come to pick him?
Krewson: He’s the assistant chief. That was not a selection, per se. He was second in command.
The American: Do you feel that the interim chief is a step in the right direction, as far as your plan for the future of public safety?
Krewson: We are going to make that decision based on the results of the search.
The American: What is your public safety philosophy? Are you leaning towards the traditional law and order/ hotspot policing or towards community policing?
Krewson: Community policing.
The American: What are your thoughts about including social workers on the police department?
Krewson: I think all of society’s toughest problems – whether it’s poverty, it’s trauma, it’s educational attainment, un- and underemployment – end up landing at the feet of police officers because 911 is our number of last resort. I think whatever we can do to support officers so that they can support our constituents is how I’m aiming. Social workers is certainly a part of it. We don’t have that all worked out yet, but I think you have to look at this from two points of view. Police officers can’t fix everything; that’s an unrealistic expectation, but they are the ones who answer the calls.
The American: How do you plan on addressing racial equity within the police department?
Krewson: All the questions you’ve asked me up until now all lead to that, which is you take other people’s opinions into consideration. You make sure that the decisions you are making are ones that will advance racial equity. It starts with the leadership within and without the police department, so all of those things.
The American: Are you willing to bring outside reviewers in to complete an evaluation on SLMPD for racial equality, to address how to achieve a more balanced hiring, promotional, and discipline process for its employees?
Krewson: So the supposition there is?
The American: Are you willing to bring outside reviewers in to complete an evaluation of the police department? Is that a clear question?
Krewson: There have been some of those. And there some ongoing ones right now. Of course, there are folks who look at that all the time. We all want the police department to be as good as it can be.
The American: So you think that’s already been handled?
Krewson: Did I say that?
The American: You said that there are already have been “some of those.”
Krewson: There have already been some of those. There are a couple reports out there. And we’ll continue to do more of that. We want to look at how to be as good as possible.
The American: Will the Civilian Oversight Board be granted more power in light of a judge stating that the police department should move its discipline to the Civil Service Commission?
Krewson: That’s a recent opinion, right? I just looked at that the other day. I think that we have to figure out what that opinion means and how that’s going to play out.
The American: You had mentioned having interest in uniting the Democratic Party. Have you sat down with [City Treasurer] Tishaura O. Jones? [Jones lost the Democratic primary to Krewson by 888 votes.] And do you plan to consider collaborating on a united platform?
Krewson: I would love to do that whenever she’s ready.
The American: So it hasn’t happened yet, but you’ve invited her to sit down?
Krewson: Right after the election, sure. And I look at it differently. You said I wanted to unite the Democratic Party. I want to have as much cooperation and collaboration as possible with every department and elected official in our city, because I think that’s the way we are going to move forward the best.
The American: Hopefully if there is an opportunity to sit down again in the future, we would love to just connect a little more about your goals and platform.
Krewson: Oh, you heard all of that during the mayoral forums. You know it.
Koran Addo: She’s only been mayor for six days.
The American: We reached out right after the primary to try and connect with you.
Krewson: I think I remember you reached out right before the inauguration.
The American: No, it was either March 8 or 9. [It was March 9. Krewson’s campaign spokesperson responded that he would check with Krewson and respond by March 13, but never responded.] We just sent you those initial emails (to Koran).
Krewson: That would have been right after the primary. Well, you were strongly on one side so … [The American strongly endorsed Jones.]
The American: Our newspaper serves a certain population of this city and I think it is important for your voice to be included in the paper, in order to reach this population. Wouldn’t you agree?
(Pause.)
Addo: Yes, we’re here for you Rebecca.
The American: This isn’t about me or anyone at the paper. It’s about the community.
Krewson: We are all big kids here.
