MANSFIELD — The leader of the Mansfield Chapter of the NAACP said he thinks it’s time for a still relatively new city administration to meet with the community.
Alomar Davenport, who was elected president in December, has announced that Mayor Jodie Perry, Safety Service Director Keith Porch and police Chief Jason Bammann have all committed to attend a “Town Hall” event April 28.
The NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, founded in 1909.
The meeting, open to the public, will be at 6 p.m. at the Legacy Academy of Excellence, 215 N. Trimble Road.
Davenport, who served one term on Mansfield City Council representing the Fourth Ward, attended the local lawmakers’ meeting Tuesday night to invite council members to also attend.
“I invited all of council to come out. You guys are liaisons between the public and the administration,” Davenport said. “I do believe it is part of your duty to be at these type of conversations.”
Davenport scheduled the meeting after a recent arrest of a Black man on a Mansfield porch that was recorded on a front-door camera, a short video that was later circulated on social media.
The NAACP leader said the “Town Hall” was not designed to discuss the arrest, which Bammann has said is under review by the department.
“I felt this was an incredible opportunity to do two things,” Davenport said. “I want to kind of introduce … he’s been (chief) over a year now, but introduce our new chief to the public.”
Davenport said he wanted the chief to talk about department procedures and protocol in such cases, but not the recent incident in particular.
“At this meeting there will be questions answered, the community will have the opportunity to express their concerns, again, not about the incident, but about protocols, things of that nature to, create a better relationship between the police and the community,” Davenport said.
Davenport participated with the Black/Brown Coalition in 2020 when a “Code of Conduct” was agreed to between the community and the MPD.
That agreement came during the administration of Mayor Tim Theaker when Porch was police chief and Bammann was the assistant chief.
The five-page code sets forth standards of behavior that residents and officers should both meet when interacting with one another.
“We have a new administration, we have a new mayor. When that document was signed, it was (with) a different administration,” Davenport said.
“I see this as an opportunity to reaffirm that code of conduct, reaffirm that both the community and the administration have a commitment to build and keep a positive relationship between the two.”
Davenport praised the administration leaders for agreeing to participate.
“Typically, it’s just been the (police) chief. I do want to commend this administration because Mayor Perry has committed to be at this at this meeting. Our safety director has committed to be at this meeting,” Davenport said.
“I do want to commend this administration for your willingness to come to the table and have these tough conversations because tough conversations create better futures and that’s what we’re trying to do here.”