A Critical Conversation about Race and Policing in Newark Pt 2

Steve Adubato goes on-location to NJPAC in the heart of downtown Newark to attend the "Moving New Jersey’s Community Forward: A Critical Conversation about Race and Policing Forum" to talk with community leaders and lawmakers about how where Newark is now and how the city can be made safer. Guests include LaShawn Warren, VP & General Counsel NJ Institure of Social Justice; Anthony Ambrose, Newark Public Safety Director Newark; Junius Williams, Chair of Newark Celebration 350; Portia Allen Kyle, Attorney American Civil Liberties Union of NJ; and Michellene Davis, EVP RWJBarnabas Health.

#1923 11/11/2016

Excerpt:

"Hi, this is Steve Adubato. More importantly, I'm here at the atrium of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. his is an extraordinary place where the most important conversations often take place, and tonight is no exception. Tonight is a conversation that is called "Moving New Jersey's Communities Forward: A Critical Conversation About Race and Policing". The Institute For Social Justice has put it together, along with some partnering organizations, and we decided to come here and talk to some folks, folks who are part of the audience. 600 people have RSVP'd, a group of distinguished panelists representing all different perspectives in the minority community and in the law enforcement community, so the question becomes could Newark be, with all of its challenges in the police and minority community over the years since the Rebellion of 1967, could Newark become a model for how the police and the minority community interact moving forward? That is what the discussion is about tonight at NJPAC. Those are the people that we'll be talking to. That is the subject, and this is a half hour that is worth checking out. We're talking to one of the organizers of this very important conversation about police minority relations. She is Lashawn Warren, vice president and general counsel, New Jersey Institute For Social Justice. We're here at NJPAC. A critical conversation about race and policing. Why now? Why so critical? Well, there have been a number of important developments in the city of Newark including the consent decree that was entered into with the city and the United States Department of Justice. And so with these developments, we thought that it was a critical time to bring the community together to hear about these developments and give them an opportunity to weigh in. Yeah, we were talking to your director, Ryan Haygood, about some of the... there are ten specific recommendations to improve things that the institute has put out. Just share a couple with us, beyond the body cameras for police officers. What are some of the other very concrete recommendations that are being put forth? Because we'll be talking solutions as well as, listen, there will be some honest, difficult, emotional conversation tonight... but some recommendations? So one of the things that we are urging people to do is to join our New Jersey's Communities Forward Initiative. And basically that initiative brings the community and police together and tries to foster better relationships..."