Lancaster residents demand independent review of city bicyclists arrest, creation of police advisory board

• By Jade Campos/LNP | LancasterOnline

Clarification: A previous version of this story should have stated that the Lancaster Community and Police Working Group spent several years addressing public safety concerns, shifting focus in recent years, but is currently inactive.

Lancaster city residents say they want a seat at the table in overseeing police after an internal review determined the force used during a March 2 arrest of two minors was the minimum and justified.

Residents at a City Council meeting Tuesday night demanded officials conduct an independent review of the incident, as well as create a community police oversight board. A video of the incident circulated on social media this month, sparking outrage as residents questioned the use of force during the arrest.

City police Chief Richard Mendez announced last week that an internal investigation found the use of force to be within policy guidelines.

Police said the teens were part of a larger group that was known to them. They said the group had been riding their bicycles in the 100 block of North Queen Street, impeding traffic, and resisted their attempts to stop them.

Residents also asked for access to past and present records on use of force investigations.

“This is not just about one incident. This is about a long pattern of abuse, a long pattern of Black and brown residents being brutalized, a long pattern of police being given free reign to harm without consequence,” resident Jontel Toland said.

The video showed a city police officer kneeling on the back of a person who yelled for help while lying on their stomach on the sidewalk. Another officer repeatedly told the person filming to back away from the scene and said if they didn’t, “you’re going to go in the cuffs.”

Mendez said the department has used force in only 1% to 3% of arrests over the past six years. The only injuries reported in the March 2 incident, Mendez said, were minor scrapes to the juveniles’ hands.

Mayor Danene Sorace approved of the department’s findings, saying at a news conference last week that the “disregard to traffic safety has got to stop.”

Abi Haynie, of the Lancaster Democratic Socialists of America, on Tuesday night said the news conference was a “deflection” of blame from the police officers onto others.

“We cannot trust the police to investigate themselves impartially,” Haynie said.

City response

Lochard Calixte was the sole council member on Tuesday who spoke directly in support of establishing a community review board. He said he was concerned by the video of the incident and police response.

“Our community deserves a commitment to just and equitable policing,” Calixte said. “Public safety is essential to any community. It’s fundamental. But it’s a collaboration between local government, the police and the community. Clearly, that collaboration is broken.”

Jaime Arroyo, council vice president and mayoral candidate, acknowledged that trust with the police has eroded and said the community must work with the city to make progress. Council President Amanda Bakay was absent.

Sorace said the community needs a “better and shared understanding” of police policies, adding that there are limitations to creating a review board. She told LNP | LancasterOnline after the meeting that collective bargaining agreements with the police union would limit the power a community group could have.

“The idea that a civilian review board would have power is a false premise, and I believe that it is important to be honest about the oversight that can be provided,” Sorace said.

Mendez, who does not usually attend council meetings, was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.

The Lancaster Community and Police Working Group formed in 2018 with members from city government, the police department, the local NAACP and a criminal justice professor. The group was created to address the use of force and recently has shifted focus to efforts like community engagement and youth violence intervention. Currently, though, the group is inactive.

A page about the working group on the city’s website notes that an office of community engagement was eventually created inside of the police bureau.

Resident Susie Gomez questioned council on the 2020 creation of the City Council Commission of Black and Brown Affairs, intended to build trust between the public and the police. Arroyo said he recalled the commission’s creation but did not share further details.

No information on the commission is available on the city’s website.

Police records disposal

Residents also criticized council for an agenda item that called for the disposal of “obsolete police records.” Council member Janet Diaz, mayoral candidate and public safety commission chair who introduced the resolution, said the records are related to traffic and nontraffic citations, animal compliance and abandoned vehicles.

“I don’t think we can trust you enough to tell us exactly what you’re throwing away,” resident Jessica Lopez said. “I believe this issue is out of touch right now.”

Sorace said the disposal of older records, which she estimated to be around five to eight years old, is routine in municipal government.

Council member Ahmed Ahmed said council originally tabled discussion on the records disposal at the March 11 council meeting. At the time, Ahmed had requested a report from Mendez on the police review process that he hoped to see before deciding on the future of the records.

Council on Tuesday agreed to again table discussion on the disposal of police records until the next council committee meeting at 6 p.m. April 1 at City Hall – Polite Council Chambers, 120 N. Duke Street. Sorace said Mendez will provide the report at the meeting.

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