Want a voice in reforming Wichita police? Racial profiling board meets Thursday

Wichita’s Racial Profiling Advisory Board is offering people a chance to provide input on how to reform the city’s police department.

The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Urban Prep Academy gym, 2821 E. 24th St. North.

“Those who come will develop specific recommendations to transform the Wichita Police Department and local judicial system,” organizers said in a statement. “With the murder of George Floyd, it is more important than ever to finally make significant changes right here in our own Community in how the people we pay to enforce laws behave and spend OUR tax dollars.”

Meeting attendees will vote on “which reforms will assure equal justice, accountability and transparency” and the top priorities will be presented to the City Council, city manager and County Commission. Organizers promise that “all voices will be heard. So come with your specific suggestions.”

Attendees are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Protests against police brutality have sometimes turned violent in Wichita and nationwide in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, died after a police officer in Minneapolis held him to the pavement with a knee on his neck. The Minnesota police officer has been fired and charged with murder. Three other officers have also been fired and charged in connection with Floyd’s death.

Protesters have called for reforms in the criminal justice system.

The Wichita Police Department has indicated it is open to change. Two police captains and a sergeant spoke with the Citizen’s Review Board last week about potential changes to the use of force policy. Some of their proposals are to explicitly ban kneeling on necks of handcuffed subjects, adding a duty to intervene section to the policy and requiring officers to render medical aid after using deadly force.

This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 4:17 PM.