Police Perception vs. Reality: Residents Voice Their Concerns

The question of perception versus reality came to the forefront Monday night, as members of the Police Departments Queens South Command gathered with community residents for a City Council meeting on police-community relations.
Conducted by the Councils Select Committee on Police Performance and Community Relations, the public hearing at I.S. 59 in Springfield Gardens served as an opportunity for the local police brass to illustrate the measures they have taken to reduce crime in Southeast Queens, while at the same time knock down the myths that have shadowed them in recent years.
"We understand many people are scared of being mistreated by the police," said Thomas Lawless, the newly appointed chief of the Queens South Command. "The truth is that police shootings are at their lowest points in 25 years, but the perception of police services does not match the reality."
One example of a misperception the community has developed towards the police, said Lawless, concerns the actions of an officer when leaving his vehicle. He explained that while an officer is sitting, their gun will shift. Consequently, when they exit their patrol car, they will often, sometimes unconsciously, grab their holster to put it back into place. However, Lawless explained, to the untrained eye, it looks like the cop is going for his weapon.
"This small bit of knowledge," said Lawless, "will go a long way."
In one his first acts as top cop at Queens South, Lawless recently implemented a policy where police officers are instructed to say "hello" when people pass them by on the street. He explained that being friendlier can also help officers find out what’s going on in a neighborhood.
The meeting was the eighth in a series of public hearings held in light of the shooting deaths of Amadou Diallo and Patrick Dorismond. In memory of the two men killed on the streets of the Bronx, the Council, along with the nearly 100 residents in attendance, conducted a moment of silence and prayer.
"Each day we walk the streets of our districts and listen to the challenges and concerns of ordinary people who are desperately trying to make a better life for themselves and their families," said City Council Member Annette Robinson in her opening remarks. "And we know all too well those concerns and fears, because we, just like each of you, have experienced the uncertainties life typically hands to us each day. I and many of my colleagues have children and grandchildren, and we have grown fearful for their safety. Fearful not of criminals, because we have made great strides in reducing crime, but fearful of the police."
City Council member Juanita Watkins grilled Lawless, along with exiting Chief Joseph Fox on the methods of attaining a police complaint form. "There have been too many instances when people complain to my office, saying they are given the runaround," said Watkins. "Even worse is when they say we dont have any forms."
Yolanda Jimenez, Deputy Commissioner of Community Affairs attempted to ease the City Councilwomans concerns, saying that although the number of complaints filed against the police has reduced, these forms "must be available to the public."
Lawless, whose command includes eight precincts and nearly 2,000 officers, was also questioned by City Council Deputy Majority Leader Archie Spigner about focusing on petty annoyances such as broken down cars and ear-splitting radios. The chief pledged to hone in quality of life crimes saying these nuisances "set the tone" for the rest of the borough.
City Council Speaker Peter Vallone said although the city has gained ground in their efforts to reduce crime, they have slipped in their efforts to bring the police and community closer together. "We have paid for safe streets in human terms," said Vallone in a prepared statement. "We have paid for safe streets in emotional terms. And we have paid for safe streets with the very principles of justice and equality on which our nation and our city are built.
Now, more than ever, the police department must demonstrate that it is willing and able to reform itself."