MANSFIELD — A police encounter between a 68-year-old Black man and Mansfield police in July sparked conversations between the community and city leaders.
Those informal conversations have led to a scheduled series of “Town Hall” meetings on improving the relationship between residents and law enforcement, the first of which is planned Aug. 27 at 5:30 p.m.
According to the NAACP Mansfield Ohio Branch, the public is invited to the meetings, designed to build a better relationship between the Mansfield Police Department and the community.
The first meeting will be at the Greater Mitchell Chapel A.M.E. Church, 182 S. Adams St.
The NAACP said Perry suggested conducting the meetings at local churches would allow attendees to speak freely and feel that they are in a “safe haven.”
Reverend Jameelah O’Neal, the church’s senior pastor, will host the meeting and hopes to open a dialogue that will “foster an understanding of the policies and procedures of the police department,” according to the NAACP.
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O’Neal spoke at a City Council meeting July 21 after the use-of-force incident in the early morning hours of May 20.
O’Neal told city leaders she attended the council meeting, “just to express, sorrow, as well as try to understand what is going on here in Mansfield.”
“This has deeply shaken myself, as well as other members, especially when there are additional incidents coming forward as far as police brutality that is happening here in Mansfield,” O’Neal said.
“I think what pains me the most is the silence from our city’s leadership. I’ve been diligently watching the news and still I have not heard any type of comment or response from the mayor,” said O’Neal, who told council she lives in Cleveland.
During the council meeting, Perry said she and others from the city meet with the local NAACP and the Mansfield Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance.
“We’re setting up quarterly meetings and I certainly would welcome other members of the community to join those. I’m always happy to visit groups. We’re happy to go out to public town halls.
“We talked about that with them because I think that the last thing you want to do is be building those relationships in a moment of crisis. I see a lot of familiar faces in the audience that I have built relationships with, but certainly, there’s always room for improvement and there’s always room for us to do more,” the mayor said during the council meeting.
Those public remarks helped lead to conversations with Perry and police leaders.
Perry said Thursday she welcomes the town hall meeting and hopes it will include a broad discussion.
“I appreciate the productive conversations we have been having with the NAACP and other Black leaders in our community about strengthening the relationship between the community and our police department,” Perry said.
“I am looking forward to meeting with a broader audience to continue this conversation,” the mayor said.
“This is essential to all of us as we continue to combat issues with juvenile violence and the drug epidemic,” Perry said.
The NAACP press release said the public will have an opportunity to express their concerns about recent instances of police use of force.
“All are welcome to attend this information session. Please come with an open mind and an intention to learn and discuss,” the NAACP said.
