By Diana Lejins, Contributing Columnist
Hiring practices, promotions, diversity and community engagement were the focus of a June 11 town hall meeting that the Long Beach Police Department hosted at Church One, in the northern part of the city.
While promoted as a gathering to address the recent killings of two unarmed young men, only the last 20 minutes were allowed for the more pressing and controversial issues. Crammed into those precious few moments were racial profiling, use of force policy, officer-involved shooting and police accountability or transparency.
The entire strictly-controlled encounter appeared to be more of a public relations outreach rather than what should have been an honest and sincere dialogue with the community.
The Victims
Hector Morejon, 19, was allegedly trespassing when Officer Jeffrey Meyer shot him on April 23. The teen’s autopsy report has been withheld pending further investigation. The family has stated that they do not believe the LBPD can fairly investigate its own.
“The police department cannot investigate itself,” said Ruben Morejon, Hector Morejon’s brother. “It’s an inherent conflict of interest. It should be turned over to the Department of Justice.”
Feras Morad, who weighed about 120 pounds, was exhibiting erratic behavior after consuming hallucinogenic mushrooms and jumping through the glass of a second-story window on May 27. The 20-year-old honor student and nationally-recognized debater was shirtless, without any weapons, and bleeding from multiple wounds. Sources said that at least three firefighters were on the scene along with Officer Matthew Hernandez, who shot Feras.
Morad’s cousins, Kareem and Hassen Morad, made impassioned pleas for change.
“The use of lethal force was not justified on my unarmed cousin,” Hassen Morad said. “I’m asking you to ensure that no family has to endure the hell that my family has experienced as a result of this tragedy…. The question I pose to every member of the police department is this — imagine your son or daughter in the same situation — how would you want the officer called in to react? Every victim of lethal force is a loved one to somebody out there.”
Several medicinal marijuana advocates connected the shootings to the lack of compassion and zero tolerance mentality that is pervasive in the LBPD. They expressed concerns about the number of marijuana and other non-violent offenses that have landed “people of color” and persons with mental illnesses in the prison system disproportionately. The irony of the situation is that those with PTSD and other mental problems could be helped with medical cannabis, serving to prevent these types of outcomes.
The organization “Black Lives Matter” also made their presence known with T-shirts and passionate, pointed speeches and questions.
Public Relations Paid by Taxpayers
Because of recent events, the LBPD reportedly is in the process of hiring a public relations firm to enhance its image. If the LBPD cleaned up its department, mandated excellence, compassion and honesty from all of its officers and actually made changes in attitudes towards all members of the community, they wouldn’t need to hire an expensive marketing firm at taxpayer expense. That money would be better spent on individual body cameras that could better protect the officers and the public. These cameras could also effectively monitor and help to ensure quality of service.
About the Author:
Diana Lejins is a seasoned journalist and photographer, focusing mainly on civil rights, animal welfare, environmental and disability issues.