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Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Program Holds Community-Police Relationship Forum
Derrick Brooks Charities Youth Program (DBCYP) re- cently held another Commu- nity and Police Relationship forum on Zoom. The forum was entitled, “CPR: Why Am I Treated This Way?” The event took place on July 26, 2021. Almost 100 attendees from Tampa Bay and around the state of Florida were in attendance, according to DBCYP Executive Director, Darrell Daniels.
The moderators were Rocky Ratliff, a retired major with the Tampa Police Department, and Karl Davis, a retired lieutenant from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The panelists were Delray Beach, Florida Police Chief Javaro Sims, Hillsborough County Sheriff Major Anthony Collins, Tampa Police Major Calvin Johnson and Rechi Butler, the founder of the Get It Straight Foundation and a reformed offender.
The purpose of the con- tinued, on-going dialogue be- tween the police and community is to bridge the gap between the two, accord- ing to Daniels. “We cannot
POLICE CHIEF JAVARO SIMS ...Delray Beach, Florida
understand each other if we don’t talk to each other,” he said.
There were many youths on the forum and some of the questions they had, and the answers the panelists gave were:
Q: If I disguised myself and committed a crime, can you find me?
A: “We recently solved a 20-year-old murder because an applicant for a job had to get fingerprinted. He now lives in Hillsborough County, but as soon as his prints came in, we solved a cold
MAJOR ROCKY RATLIFF ...Retired, Tampa Police Department, Moderator
case,” Chief Sims said.
A: “With DNA technology today, we can solve cases years from now,” Major
Calvin Johnson said.
Q: Were you ever mis-
treated?
These are the answers. A: “I remember a few
years back when I was driv- ing my BMW with my televi- sions in my headrests, and a white female officer from an- other jurisdiction pulled me over for reasons unknown to me. While she kept demand- ing my license and registra- tion, I kept asking why I was
LT. KARL DAVIS ...Retired, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Moderator
stopped. But she kept repeat- ing to me to show my license and registration. While com- plying and handing it to her, I told her I was a Hillsbor- ough County Sheriff’s deputy. She simply told me to have a nice day and walked back to her patrol vehicle,” Major Anthony Collins said.
A: “I remember when I first joined this agency, a white sergeant told me that if they had any layoffs I would be the first to go. I said that was fine with me, because I had options because I had a degree.
“I remember when they burglarized my private vehi- cle twice in a secured parking garage for only police offi- cers, but no one saw anything and there was no video.
“They kept changing the rules for advancement every time it was time for me to be promoted. In the history of this department, they have never interviewed for the po- sition of Deputy Chief, but when it was my turn, I had to be one of four people they in- terviewed. In the history of this agency, they have never brought in a deputy chief or chief from the outside, but when it was my turn, they started interviewing out- siders. I made sure I got all of the credentials to be chief so that no one could say that I was not qualified,” said Chief Javaro Sims.
Q: Did you ever blame yourself for what went wrong?
A: “At first, I was blaming everyone except me. Even
though it was me who was my own enemy. I was acting out in school and spray painted everything, the prin- cipal jacked me up and made me paint over what I messed up. But it was that same man years later that helped me save my house when it was in foreclosure, and I was about to lose it. He helped my fam- ily. So, young people some- times the people hardest on you are the people who will help you the most,” Mr. Rechi Butler said.
The moderators chimed in on their stories on how they asked themselves, “Why Am I Treated This Way.”
Major Ratliff recalled a time when he was a senior patrol officer given a call on Davis Island and he was backed up by a white male officer with less time. “It was my call, and I was there first, but the white female walked past me and began to tell the white officer what hap- pened,” he said.
Lt. Karl Davis recalled a time when he was a com- mander in the HCSO jail and a Black male asked, “Why are you working for the man and doing this?”
The best question of the forum was from a teen who asked, “Why is it that the po- lice always favor and listen to the person who called?” Major Johnson stated, “they are the initiators of the police being there; and, they already have information that dispatch has given them, but they will sort it out.” Major Collins said they will interview everyone to get their side of the story.
The co-sponsors were: Forever 55 Superbowl Host Committee, National Coali- tion of 100 Black Women, 100 Black Men of Tampa Bay, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Black Advisory Council, Sulphur Springs Neighborhood of Promise, Get It Straight Foundation, and Strategic Community Engagement Consulting.
Daniels said the next forum, scheduled for August 30, will involve youth and school resource officers, and deputies.
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