Yesterday Police Commissioner Jose Zetina met with some of his department's harshest critics: disenfranchised youths from the neighborhoods that Zetina calls hotspots.
But for one afternoon, the name calling was put aside because both sides realized that they need to find common ground, or risk living under the threat of mutually assured destruction. The session was mediated by the Youth for the Future secretariat. We listened in and found that living with the absence of war doesn't always mean living in peace. Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
In the youth for the future conference room, frustration was palpable and growing discontent with the police dominated the discussion.
[Back and forth between police and youths in meeting]
And it was a legendary photo-op: once notorious street personalities like George 'Junie Balls' McKenzie and Raymond 'Killa' Gentle face to face with Police Commissioner Jose Zetina and his top lieutenant in the city Maureen Leslie. And we had to ask was it just an opportunity for the police to look like its making nice?
Q: Are you taking what these youths are saying seriously?
Jose Zetina, Commissioner of Police
"Oh yes man. I believe the complaints are genuine but again you know my position regarding crime and violence in the city. I think they have to understand our position which is that we have to enforce the laws."
Bruce "Kilamanjaro" Cocom, Reformed Gangster
"The same thing happen over and over again. Every week they come to our house. My old lady goes to the Ombudsman and nothing happen. If we want we can pickup big gun and thing but we don't want to go through that."
George "Junie Balls" McKenzie, Reformed Gangster
"We got this meeting several time already and it is like nothing is done. Sometimes it is like I don't even want to talk. Because you can say sometime in here and when you get on the street you will meet something different. The meeting is good though because the way how the policemen are going on we would really want them to leave us alone. We are getting fed up. We are tired of this."
And that mounting frustration motivated Youth for the Future to organize this mediation session so the ghetto youths like 'Junie Balls' can burn fire on the system to the system.
Douglas Hyde, Youth for the Future
"A lot of young persons are telling us about issues related to police and themselves. Knowing that we have a close tie with the commissioner we sat down and asked him about probably having one or two meetings with the guys. The youths were optimistic about it. Today is just a present agreement between the youths and police that we want to work very closely and hand in hand with one another."
And the name of one officer, one police inspector dominated the meeting. The youths say the said Inspector is a constant deterrent to healthy relations with the police.
[Audience Member Shouting 'Mr. Chester Williams]
George "Junie Balls" McKenzie, Reformed Gangster
"The problem when they have these meeting is that they should have the police officers whose name are being called like Mr. Chester Williams. A lot of people called Mr. Chester Williams' name during the meeting."
And as much as his name was being called, the Inspector wasn't there to defend himself and so the Commissioner stepped in.
Jose Zetina, Commissioner of Police
"With respect to the Inspector, I am not going to vouch for him in anyway or fashion but what I can say is that he is one of the hardest working police officers in the department. He is always proactive. He is always in crime prevention. He gets the intelligence from the streets and he has been very instrumental in many arrests we have made by getting information from people on the streets."
But still their collective attention captured for 90 minutes proved that the hood is ready to deal. And yes it may even seem they are ready to form that much talked about partnership.
George "Junie Balls" McKenzie, Reformed Gangster
"People know when we are kicking up dust, we are kicking dust and we don't care who see and who don't."
Q: And you don't do that anymore?
George "Junie Balls" McKenzie,
"We don't do that anymore. You can go behind my back and ask anyone about me. Ask them when was the last time you saw Junie Balls. We are trying to deal with some sports thing. We just had a marathon the other day…big marathon at the MCC grounds."
Raymond "Killa" Gentle, Reformed Gangster
"From their behalf it sounds like they are serious. The only thing left is to see what will happen in the future. What they are saying is fine and dandy but when they leave we don't what will be their intention. We don't know if they will just throw us behind and forget us. But once they go ahead with what they promise I think we will have a better community right round and around."
About 25 youths attended the session and a future meeting is already being planned.