Councilwoman Gloria Taylor will continue to press for an investigation of the Police Division, she said Monday.
She said she will try to have it on the agenda in May, noting the council unanimously approved an investigation.
As previously reported here, Taylor brought up the issue at the end of the March 14 meeting after all other business. Speakers at that meeting had voiced concern for a popular police lieutenant who was allegedly facing discipline including possible demotion and six months without pay. The public was not privy to all the details because it was an internal personnel matter. Taylor made a number of comments before the vote - "I don't trust what's going on," "I'm concerned about the culture in the Police Division," "Something's wrong when the good ones are being persecuted," and "Things like this have made good cities explode."
However, necessary details such as naming an attorney and setting a limit on costs were not included in the March 14 resolution.
On Monday, Taylor again spoke at the end of the meeting, saying it was not just about Lt. Ken Reid, but about people "in the upper echelons who break the law." She also said it was "not about politics" and "not about killing police officers," but about "making a better city."
Earlier in the meeting, Councilwoman Rebecca Williams had read into the record a letter from a daughter of Police Officer John Gleason, who was killed during 1967 rioting in the city. On March 21, Taylor had warned of a "culture of disconnect" and said, "that's why we killed Officer Gleason." She said Monday her comment was "a rhetorical statement" and she was saying the community killed Gleason.
Claiming her words had been twisted, she said, "Somebody went and told them what I said."
People in the audience who applauded Taylor's remarks also alluded in public comment to impending community clashes. Activist Salaam Ismial said he agreed "something is brewing in this town" and Rev. Zechariah Jackson said, "This thing here is very, very dangerous."
None of the other council members expressed such apocalyptic views. In final comments, Taylor first praised Police Director Carl Riley as "a wonderful professional," but added, "You may be perpetuating it."
She said people get up to the rank of lieutenant, but there are no black captains.
The next City Council meeting is 8 p.m. Monday, April 11, in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
--Bernice
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Her words got twisted ?? Oh... sorry Gloria Trump... they were heard exactly as you said them. The problem with being an arrogant blow hard, you don't think about what's coming out of your mouth, much like your political twin brother, Donald Trump. Yes, there were in fact people in the upper echelon of the police department who broke the law, Martin Hellwig, your buddy Sharon Robinson Briggs cost the city's time and money to the tune of close to half a million dollars all because out of town rent boys were his thing. But your buddy Sharon said 3 days off was good enough. Go after your one of your good God fearing buddies in one of your public tirades and I think you'll see the public cheer that...but no, of course you won't. You dear Gloria Trump are part of the culture of disconnect. It put you in office.
ReplyDeleteShe knows what the word rhetorical means, but can't figure out proprietary?
ReplyDeleteThere is something brewing, and it is hate and an apparent love of being in the limelight, not matter whether positive of negative, you get this kind of atmosphere. Can she be our own Donald Trump?
Lame duck TIME LEFT:
ReplyDelete8 months, 19 days, 15 hours, 20 mins, 12 seconds
Whew. . . we're almost there!
Jim how long do you have? Most of the AA Community feel the same way about you.
ReplyDeleteAlcoholics Anonymous?
DeleteThe whole town acts like Trump. What was the purpose of having that letter read from Gleason's daughter in public. It was the mayor's attempt to humiliate Taylor. It did not work, that is the only reason he came to the meeting, he loves confusion,revenge,and ugliness. His puppet Rebecca was more than glad to read the letter on his request, demand, order.This whole town has Trump proclivities. Lee Evans
ReplyDeleteOf course it didn't work. Why would a Christian reverend want to foster peace and be an instrument to bring the community together? A good Christian disregards any rule of God, and then just asks for forgiveness. Good gig.
DeleteDear Lee.. here's to supporting Male Prostitution... You want part of the previous administration.. You get it all. Go Team Sharon and Team Gloria!
DeleteAgreed.
DeleteIs threatening impending community clashes a self-fulfilling prophecy? Prospective business owners, are you listening? I think I'll open a moving company.
ReplyDeleteWhat was said by GT is in poor taste and as a public servant she should be held accountable for her remarks. However, the unfortunate truth about attempting to humiliate or embarrass an individual like her, is that such a person lacks the empathy, concern or compassion for anyone other than herself. Her supporters follow suit.
ReplyDeleteAn individual like GT is not to be underestimated. She is strategic and calculating. She has a platform and she uses it.
GT is witnessing her surroundings change. She is in the midst of a crumbling political machine of which she has been a beneficiary for quite some time. She will do and say whatever she needs in order to reverse the tide. She is convinced that a new and improved Plainfield is not to her advantage. Equally, she has convinced her friends of the same.
GT knows that her public comments are printed and aired for public viewing. She knows that her words come across as unfriendly to potential residents, business developers and business owners she would rather not see be a part of our community. She knows her rhetoric will cause a stir among a varying cross-section of the community, relishing in the thought that she is responsible for keeping us divided which, essentially, keeps us from progressing and growing.
Soon GT will be a dearly departed member of the Council and we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
Amen!
DeleteChange is a coming, Taylor,Campbells, Dunns, Robinson-Briggs and your puppet master Green, your time is up. All of you combine will not be able to stop the progress that is being made.
DeleteSince Bernice completely ignored the comments I made at the council meeting, I will repeat them here:
ReplyDeletePeople who moved to Plainfield after the 1867 uprising have no idea how demonizing Officer Ken Reid and calling Officer Gleason a hero is going to open old wounds and impact history as much as current policy. In 1967, during the uprising, Officer Gleason went against orders and entered the cordoned off area in the 4th ward. He then shot Bobby Lee Williams two times in the stomach. Although Bobby was a victim, he ended up being tried for a variety of crimes and the famous human rights advocate, William Kunstler, represented him. Officer Gleason's death was harrowing for his family, but he was known for brutal behavior towards members of the community living in the 4th ward, although his family, the police, and those who never experienced his brutality vehemently deny this. Well respected members of the community, including Marjorie Patterson of the YMCA, were aware of Gleason's brutality. When Gloria Taylor said, "That's why we killed Officer Gleason," she was simply trying to get people to understand that having a police department that is free to wield its power any way it sees fit can lead to catastrophic consequences. She has not been the first to state the obvious. What is worrisome is the response to Gloria Taylor's comment by members of the community.
The great American writer, James Baldwin once wrote the following: "If one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected members of the middle class. One goes to the unprotected -- those, precisely, who need the law's protection most -- and listens to their testimony."
Those testimonies will be read at future council meetings.
What's more worrisome, Ms. Faraone, is turning a case of misconduct and cover-up today into an indictment of wholly unrelated actions half a century old. Taylor misspoke, but acts largely unapologetic. Agitators turning the Reid situation into threats of impending racial upheaval is unwarranted. Political leadership without political statesmanship is a dangerous mix.
DeleteFaracone Why not tell us how old you were in 1967 and what street you lived on?
DeleteNow that people are stirring up the past - What Plainfield needs is a Public Hearing and oral history testimony about what it was like living in Plainfield before the riots in 1967, and the school riots that followed. There was the 6th grade plan that was forced on the Public; there was a massive loss of jobs with the closing of Mack trucks and Art Color; there were segregated places including restaurants and Y's (one place was right across the street from City Hall); there were legal documents that separated the ability to own land in the city and even a cemetery (if you look back in land records you will see such facts)and the list goes on including the Country Club which excluded Blacks and Jews.
ReplyDeleteThere was tracking according to race and class. There were numerous studies done by universities including Rutgers and Columbia about the forced segregation and division in Plainfield. The Justice Department had to intervene on more than one occasion. There was redlining and block busting. There was turmoil. Model Cities came into being.
What people don't realize is that there were people in Plainfield living in integrated neighborhoods filled with diversity, and one of those neighborhoods had even had a tour bus coming through showing others how to live together (a novelty at the time.) Some citizens in Plainfield grew up in their own neighborhoods never knowing the struggle and adversity that others were going through, and not even knowing until years later that there were two different Y's. The reason for that was because in their own neighborhoods people were living in peace, and without government intervention had made their own individual decisions to accept everyone. In at least one area of town a girl scout troop was integrated as early as the 1950's.
The eruption of the struggle stirred fear and confusion. Memories of gunshots in the middle of the night, restricted area surrounding by military tanks and national guards, men being stopped by guardsman just trying to go to work and coming home, State Police every three feet surrounding the High School and students had to pass through just to go to school are some of the images emblazoned in residents' minds. It is all very complicated, and not as simple as people think. We have come far, but there is more to do like walk in another's shoes.
Oscar, I think your comment is on the money.
ReplyDeleteGT MUST RESIGN
ReplyDeleteRob, I think you got me confused with Dan Damon in ref.to supporting male prostitution. Lee Evans
ReplyDeletemmmmmmmmmmmm....no, not in the least.. You want Sharon and company back.. You support a Mayor having the police pick up her laundry, do her grocery shopping and Male Prostitution as a benefit of being one of the "UPPER ESCHELON" that your buddy Gloria so morally points out as wrong... So, Lee... Male Prostitutes or not ??? Stop clutching your pearls..and simply answer the question... You want SRB back.. so you want Male Prostitution to be "no big deal" ... 3 days off with no pay! Yes, or no ?? Plainfield is waiting for your answer?? Maybe a $50 round the world on the side to convince you to answer?? Sharon's buddy Martin can steer you in the right direction.
DeleteIf there are no black captains, how is that an issue? There is a Civil Service test issued by the State and ranked according to your score. Earn your promotions based upon qualifications not the color of your skin. Skipping white qualified canidates is not the answer to getting a black captain, please move on.
ReplyDeleteThere were two black police captains in recent memory. The previous administration forced one to choose between being demoted or retiring. He retired. The other faced disciplinary action for misappropriating public property for his own use, and faced with charges that would result in losing his pension, chose a quiet retirement rather than paying the piper.
DeleteWhy not look back and see who were skipped for black promotions. Someone should do a study on that. Every skip was a white officer until finally a black female officer was skipped in the last few years.
Delete