Fayetteville Police Department under review by U.S. Department of Justice
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- In May 2013, Fayetteville police shot a fleeing suspect twice in the back. Six months later, cops shot and killed a teenager they say brandished a gun. His family disputes that and continues to protest. It's been a peaceful protest so far.
However, the recent flare ups between cops and an angry community in Ferguson, Missouri - after the fatal police shooting of an unarmed teen - shows what can happen when those frustrations boil over.
"We've seen demonstrations that have turned to civil unrest and riots, simmering tensions," said Ronald Davis, Director of the Justice Department's COPS program. "We know that we cannot be successful in fighting crime if we don't have the trust in our communities."
Davis was invited in by Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock to take a hard look at the department. Experts from COPS will assess everything from traffic stops, to searches, and police-involved shootings.
The process will take six to eight months, including meetings with cops, community members and city leaders, to result in a publicly-released report with suggestions, concerns, and the best police practices.
"We're committed to the process, and we're committed to becoming a great police department," Medlock said.
Since Medlock took over the Fayetteville Police Department in February 2013, policy changes have shown up in the data.
There are fewer traffic stops and searches. So far this year, there hasn't been a single police-involved shooting. There were seven in 2012.
Still, black drivers in Fayetteville are disproportionately more likely to be pulled over compared to white drivers. The recent struggle for clues and witnesses after 16-year-old Joseph Braxton was shot and killed outside a house party last month shows the police have a long way to go in earning the trust of local youth.
"The piece that we have missed is the youth. I'm talking about our high schoolers, or college-aged kids. We have not connected with them as a police department," Medlock said.
Overall crime is down this year in Fayetteville, but Medlock hopes the COPS program can also help develop better strategies to connect with the city's younger residents.
