A large group of residents tonight unsuccessfully beseeched the Harrisburg Council to vote against funding new protective gear for police.
A resolution passed by City Council on Tuesday will allocate $65,000 for the Harrisburg Police Bureau to update its protective riot gear, but not until the city takes steps to create a policing task force.
Thanks to a last-minute amendment by Councilman Ben Allatt, the police will not receive their $65,000 until the city solicitor submits an additional resolution to council. That resolution will call for the creation of an eight-member task force, which will address community policing initiatives, police training and the creation of a civilian review board.
Police first requested new gear in June of this year, saying that Harrisburg’s status as a capital city makes it a frequent site of protests. They also said that their current stock of protective riot gear is 25 years old and inadequate.
The $65,000 will buy 30 head-to-toe armored suits, with individual shoulder, hand, leg, chest and shin guards that can be detached and deployed as needed. The suits also come with helmets, shields and riot sticks, according to Captain Derric Moody.
Council’s 5-1 vote on the amended bill, opposed only by Councilwoman Shamaine Daniels, came after a lengthy public discussion during which many residents criticized the funding request. Some said that a “militarized police force” could agitate hostile crowds, while others called for police to invest the money in programs that would build public trust.
Hillary Henson said that the goal of policing should be to prevent riots from occurring in the first place. She suggested that the funds be used for training instead of equipment.
“Police have many ways of limiting protesters other than riot gear,” Henson said. “They can coordinate with community organizers. A less adversarial relationship would increase everyone’s safety, including police.”
Others spoke about what they perceive as the community’s widespread mistrust of the police force.
“We all know that there is a deep mistrust between police and community, and that’s our reality,” said city resident Amanda Arbour. “We want to invest in building trust, so use the money to provide training that the community has been asking for.”
Tara Stark Mueller said that the resolution should not pass unless the bureau holds open meetings with the community. Before council adjourned in July, Councilman Allatt asked Police Chief Tom Carter to organize public meetings with the mayor and representatives from the police force.
“If there have been meetings, I have been unaware,” she said. “To have this vote tonight would be a sign of mistrust between community and police,”
In private remarks, Carter said that he did not hold the meetings because Mayor Eric Papenfuse was on vacation. He said he would be open to planning them in the future if council requested it.
While the vast majority of residents who spoke on Tuesday opposed the funding measure, some said that protective gear is a necessity for any police force.
“We want our police to come home safely,” said Sharice Breyer, whose husband is a retired officer.
Breyer thinks that modernizing police equipment should be a priority now that the city has improved its finances.
“It’s time for our community to be on the same level as everyone else,” she said. “Officer Carter will have enough sense to know when to bring the riot gear out, and our officers need to be prepared.”
Jayne Buchwach, a resident of Allison Hill, made a unique request when she asked for more police on her street.
“You can get the gear and wear it in our neighborhood,” Buchwach said, pointing to shootings and drug activities as examples of recent crime. “We need police presence.”
Carter thanked the residents who spoke out against the legislation. He said their concerns opened an important conversation about the bureau’s community relationships. He then made a final case for why the police needed new gear.
Citing recent protests in Charlottesville, Va., where one woman died after violence erupted between white supremacists and counter-protesters, Carter said that police need to protect Harrisburg citizens from “outsiders” who join local protests. He added that since Pennsylvania is an open-carry state where protesters can lawfully carry firearms, the police need to take every precaution to keep the public safe.
“Charlottesville was bad because the police were not prepared,” Carter said. “If open-carry people turned weapons against the citizens of this city, you’ll look to police to do something. Our protective gear is to do that.”
After hearing final comments from the public, Council President Wanda Williams said that the resolution would “provide the city with the necessary tools” for facing hostile crowds. She said she would vote yes on the resolution, at which point Allatt submitted his amendment.
Under the amendment, the police will not receive their funds until council receives the resolution creating the citizen task force. That task force will include three community members (to be nominated by the mayor or council), two members of the city administration, one member of the Fraternal Order of Police, and two representatives from city council.
Council expects to have that resolution before its next legislative session on Sept. 12.
Author: Lizzy Hardison
