Denver Post

Protests of police force lack coalition
By Cindy Rodriguez
Denver Post Columnist

Friday, October 24, 2003 - Alvertis Simmons admits he's disappointed. He was hoping to pack the front of the Denver Police Department during Monday's rally to protest the coddling of officer James Turney, the man who shot a mentally disabled teen to death in July.

Turney has been on paid leave for 3 1/2 months, the police union protecting him every step of the investigation.

Imagine the impact of a thousand people chanting: "We want the badge! We want the badge!"

But only about 200 people showed.

Simmons believes it's because word didn't get out the way it traditionally does in the black community: through pastors, the NAACP and other black organizations.

Well, some of the ministers I spoke to say they didn't have the information to give to their congregations - even though it was in the newspaper.

And the NAACP branch president, Menola Upshaw, said she can't take action until she gets direction from national. Then again, she admits she hasn't even called them.

But let's put that aside for a moment to talk about a larger issue that keeps the community from rising and being heard.

It has to do with numbers.

The Rev. Reginald Holmes, the head of the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, calls it a "lack of demographics."

But he's not just talking about the size of Denver's black community, which stands at about 11 percent. He's talking about the percentage of total voters - not enough to swing citywide elections.

He says the numbers often "give African-Americans a feeling of futility."

It's why politicians often ignore the community and get away with it.

He says it's why Gov. Bill Owens hasn't spoken publicly about the Paul Childs case - even though it made national headlines.

Maybe reporters haven't asked him, but it's not like Owens is out there, inquiring about ways to improve state law as it relates to the lethal force officers can use.

But if there's power in numbers, there's one piece of the equation that's being left out: nonblacks.

Surely there are hundreds of white people who live in the city who may not think Turney should be charged but believe he should be stripped of his badge. So where are they?

For that matter, where were all the Latinos in the city, especially those who grew up in tough neighborhoods where cops aren't always viewed as the good guys?

The All Peoples Party - an organization that was formed after District Attorney Bill Ritter exonerated Turney - has a name that implies multiculturalism.

Though the rally did have a sprinkling of Latinos, Asians, whites and Native Americans, it was just that: a sprinkle.

So was it that whites and other nonblacks have trouble aligning themselves with Simmons, an outspoken man who believes in working outside the system? After all, there wasn't a huge showing of middle-class blacks, either. Or was it that Simmons and the others who led the march didn't try to reach out to other communities?

I know there are hundreds of people in the city who believe Turney needlessly shot a mentally disabled kid. My e-mail in-box is full of letters from people who liken Turney to Quick Draw McGraw. They start or end their letter with "I'm a white person."

But for some reason they didn't come out to protest.

While there are those who would say this is a FUBU situation, one that African-Americans say should be handled "For Us, By Us," it's impractical in Denver - for the very reasons Holmes cited. It's about the lack of demographics.

But imagine the kind of sit-up-and-take-notice posture that Denver Police Chief Gerry Whitman, Mayor John Hickenlooper, members of the state legislature and even Owens would have if they had to contend with a sea of white faces.

I'm not saying that some politicians aren't trying to do what's right. But look at who has been the most vocal. Denver City Council President Elbra Wedgeworth and City Councilman Michael Hancock, who is also the CEO of the local Urban League, are pressuring U.S. Attorney John Suthers to open a federal investigation.

Wedgeworth is also working with other politicians to resurrect an organization of Colorado black elected officials, a group whose members will work together to amend laws that protect police over people.

But there are only 11 black elected officials in the whole state. And if they work with other elected officials of color and bring in former politicians of color, there would still be too few to yield enough power to make serious change.

Again, it comes down to the numbers.

Whatever happened to coalition building?