Some
Western Wayne area local governments
and police departments are joining
forces with the NAACP to host a
listening tour following weeks of
protests since the death of George
Floyd. (Photo by HB Meeks/Tell Us
USA News Network)
On
Tuesday,
June 16,
2020 at
the
Westland,
MI City
Hall,
Wayne
County
Treasurer
Eric R.
Sabree
attends
the
kickoff
of
"Partnerships
for
Progress
Listening
Tour in
Western
Wayne
County.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us USA
News
Network)
NAACP,
police
announce
listening
tour in
Detroit
area
apnews.com
WESTLAND,
MI -
Leaders
of more
than a
dozen
Detroit-area
police
departments
and
other
civic
leaders
are
joining
forces
with the
NAACP to
host a
listening
tour
following
weeks of
protests
since
the
death of
George
Floyd.
"We
know
that
men,
women
and
children
of all
ages and
all
walks of
life are
rallying,
they're
protesting.
And
they're
desperate
for us
to
listen.
And
that's
exactly
what
we're
going to
do,"
Belleville,
Michigan,
Mayor
Kerreen
Conley,
chair of
the
Conference
of
Western
Wayne,
said
during a
news
event
Tuesday
outside
Westland
City
Hall.
The
first
listening
session
will
take
place
June 24
at a
high
school
auditorium
in the
Detroit
suburb
of
Livonia.
The
idea is
to
provide
an
opportunity
for
community
members
to
interact
directly
with
police
and
elected
officials
and
offer
ideas
for
solutions
and
change.
"Don't
just
complain
to your
friends
and your
family.
Participate
in the
conversations,
so that
your
issue
will be
addressed.
We all
are here
to
listen.
And that
includes
everyone,"
said
Gina
Wilson
Steward,
president
of the
Western
Wayne
County
NAACP.
Three
weeks of
protests
followed
the
death on
May 25
of Floyd
at the
knee of
a white
Minneapolis
officer.
Westland
Police
Chief
Jeff
Jedrusik
said he
and
fellow
officers
felt
"disgust"
when
they
viewed
the
Floyd
video.
"The
way you
feel
when you
see a
video of
an
unprofessional
police
officer,
we feel
that
same
way,"
Jedrusik
said.
"That's
an
embarrassment
to our
profession.
And
believe
me when
I say
that
there's
nobody
that
dislikes
a bad
police
officer
more
than the
good
ones."