Mark Puente of the Tampa Bay Times (in one of his final stories for the newspaper) reports that “roughly 125 black police officers, city activists and clergy members met behind closed doors late Tuesday with Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin to discuss widespread racial turmoil.”
While meeting leaders asked the media to leave and sit outside so the group could talk openly, reporters from the Tampa Bay Times and the Weekly Challenger could hear every word through a collapsible wall dividing the room and the sitting area.
Those attending told Tomalin that they have no faith in the white leaders of the department. After hearing complaints for about 20 minutes, Tomalin said she and Mayor Rick Kriseman would not intervene.
Reading this story, I have just one question … what would the reaction be if roughly 125 white police officers, city activist and clergy members met behind closed doors with Mayor Rick Kriseman to discuss widespread racial turmoil?
I’ll tell you what would happen … it’d be a good indication the city was on the verge of this.
This meeting of black police officers, activists and clergy reeks of hypocrisy. Kudos to Kriseman and Tomalin for saying they would not intervene in police hiring matters.
