Chief previews plan aimed at bridging gap between DPD and community

May 25—After listening to concerns and meeting with some residents, Decatur police Chief Todd Pinion previewed the six major components of his plan aimed at healing the divide between his department and the community to mixed reactions.

"I've been listening since day one," Pinion said Friday. "From the first council session. I've been listening to try to see the concerns of the community and come up with something that, hopefully, leads us in a direction toward healing.

"Ultimately, there's always going to be that tension until there's a finality on the case, I think, but we need to start trying to heal."

Pinion referred to the murder charge against former officer Mac Marquette, accused of shooting and killing Steve Perkins on Sept. 29. The atmosphere in the city has been tense ever since, with police frequently clashing with peaceful demonstrators who demand justice for Perkins. Around 30 demonstrators have been arrested and charged with mostly disorderly conduct since Perkins was killed, some as recently as last month.

A May 17 temporary gag order hearing included revelations from DPD's command staff that didn't help ease the tension. Capt. Rick Archer testified that the command staff believed the Morgan County District Attorney's Office misrepresented the facts of the case. Some attendees described the hearing as "shocking" and "embarrassing."

Pinion called his new plan "fluid" and said some of the items are already in motion, while others may take more time to put in place.

"It is my goal as chief to not only ensure everyone lives safely and without fear, but to assist in bridging the gap between our community and our department," he said.

The six main components are as follows:

—Develop a comprehensive communication system for the city to foster transparency.

—Offer "structured sessions" to concerned citizens as an outlet for face-to-face dialogue with the police to address "racial harmony" and promote justice and inclusion.

—Conduct a thorough review of current policies and procedures.

—Implement a "leadership development and cultural educational system" to ensure a positive work environment and effective leadership.

—Implement an officer wellness system.

—Proactively communicate and educate citizens about the plan so that they can engage with it and offer input.

Pinion said citizens need to have a place to be able to sit down and have discussions outside of City Council meetings. He hopes to roll out the "structured sessions" soon.

"I'm still working and drafting with several members of the community to develop the actionable items of the plan," he said.

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Reactions

Nick Perkins, Steve Perkins' brother, said he thinks the six main components of the plan are "really good."

"But I am reluctant to see how this so-called plan even relates to this current department, mainly the command staff and the chief," he said. "The plan is not really the problem. It's the command staff and the chief and those who don't follow policies and protocols that are already in place.

"If you want to revise those policies, that's great. But you're going to need it with a different department."

Councilman and police liaison Carlton McMasters praised the plan for addressing concerns brought by residents to council meetings.

"What this shows me is Chief Pinion has listened to everything that has been said, and he's trying to make actionable items out of it," he said.

"I think there's truly something for every single resident of this city that they can look at and say: that's a good thing. I have never questioned the chief's leadership."

Council President Jacob Ladner said the main components seem like good things for the Police Department.

"I'm curious on, you know, how these things are going to get done, what kind of time frame there might be, what those specific actions are to accomplish these six bullet points," he said.

"There still seems to be a lot to learn about the plan, but I don't have a negative reaction, because these are positive things for the community and the department. But they are very high-level and there's not a lot of detail on how we get them done."

Councilman Billy Jackson declined to comment, and Councilman Kyle Pike had not seen the plan at the time of publication because he was out of town.

Standing In Power cofounder Aneesah Saafiyah said the components of the plan are good but need to be more comprehensive.

"We need specific details," she said. "We require systemic changes focused on public safety reform and robust oversight of the Police Department. Not six steps that came from ChatGPT."

Pastor James Videau of Victory Church in Hillsboro, where Perkins is from, called the plan preview "shallow."

"The issue is not policy," he said. "The issue is adherence to policy. Someone is dead because they did not adhere to policy.

"There was nothing mentioned about a police oversight board with subpoena and voting power. This board should be voted on by the community, not by the mayor or councilmen."

Decatur resident and pastor of Beacon Hill Worship Center in Hartselle, Marquis Gray, said it was "insulting" to wait eight months for a plan.

"He (Pinion) had eight months, and if that's all he could come up with, I've got an issue with that," he said. "One of the main things — accountability — is still not addressed.

"We've seen time after time that Decatur police officers have been rogue, they've gone against the law, and they don't follow policies and procedures. We saw that with them going to Steve's house that night. We saw that even from the gag order hearing — there was no chain of command, there was no chain of custody. They've harassed protesters for doing absolutely nothing at 3rd Friday."

Gray said as long as DPD is the sole authority for investigating the misconduct of its officers, nothing will change. He echoed Videau's call for a citizen review board with subpoena power.

"We want to address the fact that his (Pinion's) leadership has proven to be incompetent," he said. "The plan doesn't show the leadership that the city of Decatur deserves."

Mayor Tab Bowling in a text message said he asks subscribers of The Decatur Daily to be "supportive and understanding."

"This is a team effort, and it remains a process that we need to move at the speed of right," he said.

— david.gambino@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438.