At the same time, the Dayton Daily News interviewed last summer’s protesters to get their views a year later.
“I would be lying if I said I was hopeful,” said Lynda Huggins, an educator and 25-year Dayton resident and mother of three young Black men.
“I’m glad that enough people were upset that things were carried out differently than usual,” said Will Smith, a Dayton Public Schools Board of Education member and engagement coordinator for city of Dayton police reform initiatives. “I will say that with that, there is no magic wand.”
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Here are some key questions answered about the impact of the protests and what comes next:
What happened last year?
Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and other city leaders vowed to make changes in the wake of protests in Dayton to improve police accountability and community-police relations.
The mayor later that month announced she was creating five police reform working groups focused on oversight, use of force, training, community engagement and recruitment and promotion.
After analyzing data, talking with experts and studying current policies and best practices in communities across the nation, the reform groups issued 142 recommendations for policing changes.
What has been the reaction to the process?
A March survey of 49 people involved in the reform groups found that more than 90% of respondents were confident, somewhat confident or very confident in the process, said Torey Hollingsworth, senior policy aide to Mayor Whaley who was heavily involved in the reform work.
Reform committee members believe the reform initiative was an important step to improving the police department’s relationship with the Black community, according to a report from Ellen Belcher, an independent consultant who the city hired to gather feedback about the process.
However, the report says, there is “deep-seated skepticism” among many committee members about how quickly and to what degree the recommendations will result in policing changes.
What are some examples of recommendations?
There are many.
Some key recommendations from the use-of-force committee included equipping officers with body cameras, changing policies to prohibit some types of force like chokeholds and an emphasis on de-escalation tactics and principles.
The recruitment and promotion committee suggested establishing a full-time recruitment unit, making changes to improve flexibility in hiring and setting annual hiring goals for Black police recruits.
The engagement committee’s most important recommendation was to create an alternative responders program.
One recommendation by the oversight committee calls for extending the retention schedule for police disciplinary records.
What are the protesters saying a year later?
Last June, the Dayton Daily News asked protesters why they were protesting and what changes they wanted to see. A year later, the newspaper interviewed those people again and asked how much progress they believe has been made and what they still see that needs to be done.
Answers varied. Some are encouraged by honest conversations about race happening locally and area officials’ ongoing attempts at law enforcement reform. Others said local leaders have not gone nearly far enough to reimagine our institutions, particularly the law enforcement and criminal justice systems. All six of them said there is still work left to do.
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