‘This is a nightmare’: Black residents fume as Alabama city backs ‘Confederate commander’ police chi

[marmar]

Residents of an Alabama city are up in arms because their city leaders openly support the police chief, who has admitted to being a member of a neo-Confederate group, WTVM reports.

Dothan police Chief Steven Parrish is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and residents voiced outrage that he continues in his capacity at a Tuesday city government meeting. Some on Tuesday complained they were not allowed to speak when Mayor Mike Schmitz cut short public comment, allowing one representative for and against the chief to speak.

“This would never happen to the Jewish community,” resident Paul Carroll told the City Commission. “You would never see someone who’s a neo-Nazi being made chief of police, but somehow we as the black community are supposed to accept that we have a neo-Confederate?”

According to WTVY, protesters have been calling for Parrish to resign or for him to be fired, with some saying they do not feel safe in the city as long as he is police chief.

“We are supposed to accept that we are supposed to put our trust and our faith in someone who has those connections?” resident Paul Carroll said, according to the Dothan Eagle.. “I don’t (feel safe). Sometimes when you have had a life of white privilege it is very difficult for you to understand what it is like to be a minority.” ................(more)

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/01/this-is-a-nightmare-black-residents-fume-as-alabama-city-backs-confederate-commander-police-chief/

[randome]

1. I can only imagine. What the hell is wrong with Alabama?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[SolutionisSolidarity]

2. Does sons of confederate veterans do anything bad?

I knew someone in Daughters of the Confederacy, but all they seemed to do was historical reenactments. I'm not familiar with this group though.

[marmar]

3. The "Confederacy" did something bad.

[SolutionisSolidarity]

13. No argument here.

I was just wondering if it was the typical "Southern Heritage" thing or something worse.

[Paladin]

4. They are front-and-center in the neo-confederacy movement.

Racism and hate, unconvincingly masked by blather about history and heritage.

[BlueJazz]

6. Thanks for posting that. I was wondering about them myself. Looks like just another pack ..

...of pricks.

[TeddyR]

7. I thought Sons of Conferederate Veterans

Barred from membership anyone that was a member of a hate group like the Klan?

[KamaAina]

5. “You would never see someone who’s a neo-Nazi being made chief of police"

Are you sure about that, Mr. Carroll?

[TipTok]

8. Unless they can point to proof of his racism or to violations of law in the execution of his duties

... they don't have a leg to stand on.

[Whiskeytide]

9. Challenge accepted...

Documents Show Racist Cops In Dothan, Alabama Framed Black Men For Years

"This isn’t a case of officers failing to report corruption and misconduct. This is apparently an issue of multiple honest officers in Dothan reporting the actions of cops tied to a racist organization back in the late 1990s, only to have the Internal Affairs investigation shelved by the police chief and district attorney."

From the Henry County Report cited in the article:

"The Alabama Justice Project has obtained documents that reveal a Dothan Police Department’s Internal Affairs investigation was covered up by the district attorney. A group of up to a dozen police officers on a specialized narcotics team were found to have planted drugs and weapons on young black men for years. They were supervised at the time by Lt. Steve Parrish, current Dothan Police Chief ...


http://www.forwardprogressives.com/documents-show-racist-cops-dothan-alabama-framed-black-men-for-years/

[TipTok]

10. That is the issue they should focus on then...

Sounds like he is a dirtbag and hasn't executed his duties appropriately and could deserve criminal prosecution.

[jeff47]

11. Sure they have a leg to stand on. There is no constitutional right to be chief of police. (nt)

[TipTok]

12. A legal leg then...

Based on the other post, it seems they have that and that is what they should focus on.