Ramsay wants police to step up

To his credit, Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay is taking ownership of the role police have played in the unfair treatment of many African-Americans over the years. But even more significantly, he wants the police to step up and help fix the problem – including going beyond what many people might consider the police’s responsibility.

In a commentary he wrote with community activist Djuan Wash that was published on these pages last Sunday, Ramsay acknowledged how “for generations communities of color have faced disparities in health care, education, employment, arrests and incarceration.” He also noted that “long-term mistrust between police and communities of color continues to this day.”

Ramsay, Wash and others have been working on various police reforms, including the addition of body cameras, the creation of a citizens’ review board, and the development of cultural competency and diversity training of police officers. Ramsay also pledged to seek legislative approval for independent prosecutorial review of officer-involved shootings.

But what was most striking in the commentary was the call for police to help address economic and social disparities.

“Now is the time for police to help lead the way in furthering accountability and transparency along with a conscious effort to recognize and help address the economic divide within these communities,” Ramsay and Wash wrote.

How might police help address the economic divide?

Ramsay responded in an e-mail to the Eagle editorial board that Wichita police are already doing some of that through efforts such as the Homeless Outreach Team.

“They are working with community resources to stabilize individuals in crisis and get them on track with treatment, housing and employment opportunities,” he said.

Police also are having discussions about how petty traffic charges can impact someone’s driver’s license and pocket book, and whether they should use more discretion in ticketing for minor traffic violations.

And when dealing with youth and petty ordinance violations, police should consider options such as mentoring, guiding and coaching rather than citations, Ramsay said.

“Let’s divert kids from the system whenever possible,” he said.

Such outreach and reforms also can benefit police. Ramsay and Wash noted in the commentary that “issues of misguided policies, poverty and mental illness are straining police resources and are positioning officers to be the weekly news story.”

But Ramsay believes police have a larger responsibility, because they “have become the government entity for many of the social problems we face.”

Police can’t solve all these problems. Many of them require state and national actions, as well as help from churches and charities and personal responsibility.

But as Ramsay realizes, police have an important role in bridging the divide.

“Whether medical, employment, housing, education, we must recognize how these go hand and hand with disparities in the criminal justice system,” Ramsay said. “We need to lead our way out of the place where we are today.”

This story was originally published August 21, 2016 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Ramsay wants police to step up."