Today is election day, an important day in the life of a community.
So was yesterday.
On Monday evening, well over 300 people packed the bleachers and lined up, three to four deep, along a wall at the old Hunt High School gymnasium for a neighborhood meeting called by Columbus Mayor Robert Smith.
For two hours, residents peppered the mayor and Columbus Police Department Captain Fred Shelton with questions, offered their own theories about what happened the night of Oct. 16 when an officer-involved shooting claimed the life of 26-year-old Ricky Ball and aired their own personal grievances, mostly concerning police conduct in their community.
City councilman Marty Turner also spoke briefly, as did Lavonne Harris of the local NAACP. Conspicuous by his absence was Tony Carleton, who tendered his letter of resignation as police chief to the mayor Sunday.
Although we do not know the circumstances involved in Carleton’s decision to leave the CPD for an unspecified “teaching opportunity,” it is probably just as well.
When the police chief responds to the biggest crisis of his tenure by resigning his position, it’s a pretty good indicator that he would have offered little of value in during the difficult days ahead.
The prevailing mood — frustration, suspicion, skepticism, confusion, anger — was a snapshot of a community deeply wounded by not only the events of Oct. 16, but the city’s response to them.
“There’s a dead cat on the line,” as Columbus native and retired Marine Oswalt Stevenson wryly observed.
Monday was a chance to take a hard look at an ugly event in our city and the underlying tensions that exist between those who live in this neighborhood, and its police department and city leaders.
No solution emerged from Monday’s meeting, and it’s hard to imagine anyone expected as much.
For more than an hour, Smith and Shelton responded to each question or comment, clarifying their positions, correcting misconceptions or providing their perspective on the issues raised.
Some questions, went unanswered — primarily those surrounding the shooting itself. Suffice to say, much of the information that has been provided to the public has raised as many questions as it answered.
Smith told the crowd that justice will be sure, if not swift — the investigation into the shooting is likely to continue well into 2016. While the wheels of justice often move slowly, the court of public opinion is not bound by such conventions.
A petition circulated demanding a grand jury be convened to hold the police officers involved in the shooting accountable.
During the last hour or so of the meeting, residents were allowed to vent their feelings, share their frustrations, offer their theories without response or rebuttal. That, too, was a good thing.
Often, people in poorer neighborhoods, those for whom crime and its effects are felt on a personal level, feel marginalized, unheard and unimportant.
Monday, then, provided an opportunity for the voiceless to be heard, and we applaud city officials for their willingness to face the music, unpleasant as it often was.
“It’s beneficial,” said John McMath, 62. “There’s a lot of venting. (People) are venting frustration and they need solutions. It’s a tough thing for the mayor to do this.”
Monday’s meeting, for all that pain, frustration, anger, resentment and suspicion it presented, was a start.
People spoke and city leaders were listening. The value of that should not be underestimated during the long and difficult journey that lies ahead.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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