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Michael Brown, Sr. joins Detroit city leaders to 'Occupy the Block'
A movement to stop the violence brings the father of a well-known shooting victim to Detroit.
The father of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teen shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri joined city leaders for Occupy the Corner Detroit.
It was Detroit city councilwoman Mary Sheffield occupying the corner and this time it was Brush and Bethune at the Delores Bennett Park in Detroit's north end.
"I just want us to come together and be united as one," Sheffield said. "And take a stance against the crime we're seeing within our neighborhoods."
Alongside councilwoman Sheffield was Brown, father of the Missouri teenager killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
He's on a crusade to stop violence and to bridge the gap between police and people of color - one that his son's death exposed.
"As a kid when I was growing up there were officers out jumping rope with girls, playing basketball with boys knocking on your doors introducing themselves," Brown said. "They let you know when you're doing wrong and telling you to go home. None of that is going on right now. We need to get back to the basics."
Brown took part in a round table discussion at Metro United Methodist Church. Cops, neighborhood leaders and politicians engaged in tough talk about tackling violence, personal responsibility and the relationship police have with their communities.
"This speaks volumes that we are working together and that you do represent peace and that you're not anti-police," said Cmdr. Todd Bettison.
From the four walls of the church to the neighborhoods in need of change, This Occupy the Corner and visit from Mike Brown, Sr. comes after the number of police officers hit the lowest point the city has seen in years, and a violent start to summer.
Homicides are up more than 10 percent compared to this time in 2014 and to make matters worse, the "no snitch" code so common in Detroit has seemingly crippled many investigations.
"The whole no snitch mentality in our communities has to stop," Sheffield said. "And I also think we have to make sure we're protecting those who do speak up, so we have witness protection. But is it underfunded, yes it is."
Sheffield is working on getting Detroit police's witness protection program more money to safeguard people doing their part to make Detroit more safe
The father of Michael Brown, the unarmed black teen shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri joined city leaders for Occupy the Corner Detroit.
It was Detroit city councilwoman Mary Sheffield occupying the corner and this time it was Brush and Bethune at the Delores Bennett Park in Detroit's north end.
"I just want us to come together and be united as one," Sheffield said. "And take a stance against the crime we're seeing within our neighborhoods."
Alongside councilwoman Sheffield was Brown, father of the Missouri teenager killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
He's on a crusade to stop violence and to bridge the gap between police and people of color - one that his son's death exposed.
"As a kid when I was growing up there were officers out jumping rope with girls, playing basketball with boys knocking on your doors introducing themselves," Brown said. "They let you know when you're doing wrong and telling you to go home. None of that is going on right now. We need to get back to the basics."
Brown took part in a round table discussion at Metro United Methodist Church. Cops, neighborhood leaders and politicians engaged in tough talk about tackling violence, personal responsibility and the relationship police have with their communities.
"This speaks volumes that we are working together and that you do represent peace and that you're not anti-police," said Cmdr. Todd Bettison.
From the four walls of the church to the neighborhoods in need of change, This Occupy the Corner and visit from Mike Brown, Sr. comes after the number of police officers hit the lowest point the city has seen in years, and a violent start to summer.
Homicides are up more than 10 percent compared to this time in 2014 and to make matters worse, the "no snitch" code so common in Detroit has seemingly crippled many investigations.
"The whole no snitch mentality in our communities has to stop," Sheffield said. "And I also think we have to make sure we're protecting those who do speak up, so we have witness protection. But is it underfunded, yes it is."
Sheffield is working on getting Detroit police's witness protection program more money to safeguard people doing their part to make Detroit more safe
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/29524577/michael-brown-sr-joins-detroit-city-leaders-to-occupy-the-block
(vid at the link)
I'm real happy to see Mr. Brown Sr. out here in Detroit for this discussion. There has been way too much violence in our communities and in our neighborhoods. Tackling police brutality is only half the solution, we need to be involved with taking care of our neighbors and overcoming this no-snitch rule and anti-police thinking.
I also agree with Mr. Brown Sr. on the disconnection between cops and citizens - which is more noticable in black neighborhoods. I hope residency was apart of this roundtable discussion because you can't have cops patrolling streets their not familiar or invested in.
What say you all?
