Black Men Pulled Over Most by Durham Police in Daylight
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WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM Problems reported at The Triangle North Carolina polls Advocates urge action before November general election RIBUNE By Stephanie Carson THE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE T N.C. NEWS SERVICE RALEIGH – Although Tuesday's primary is behind us, problems experi- VOLUME 17 NO. 52 WEEK OF MARCH 27, 2016 $1.00 enced by voters at the polls continue to be reported to organizations such as Democracy North Carolina and the ACLU of North Carolina. A call center staffed by law students at the University of North Carolina's School of Law received more than 1,000 calls. Virginia Union senior While the voter ID law was in place, a court order prevented the end of guard Kiana Johnson same-day registration and the filing of provisional ballots. Unless some- thing changes, those new laws will be in place in November, said Jen Jones, gets top Division II Democracy North Carolina communications manager. "Our concern is that these things will not be in place during the general honor. election," she said. "So the voter confusion we saw, and the long lines and the frustration will be doubled, quadrupled during a general election where we're going to see very high turnout." Complaints include understaffing, poorly trained election workers, incor- rect application of the new voter ID law, failure to provide provisional bal- lots to voters and last-minute polling place changes. Please see POLLS/2A Durham Group projects honors receive Chavis funding legacy By Latisha for the Catchatoorian [email protected] homeless RALEIGH – Southeast Raleigh residents have a By Bonitta Best long history with John Chavis Memorial Park, and [email protected] they want to keep it alive. DURHAM – Several service The city recently wrapped agencies that provide needs for up a series of public input Durham’s homeless have re- meetings on its revitaliza- ceived almost $970,000 in grant tion plans for the park – a funding from the U.S. Depart- historic venue where ment of Housing and Urban De- African-Americans from all velopment Continuum of Care over the southeastern re- Program. HILL STREET STUDIOS gion flocked during segre- The 12 projects will help fund gation. Many residents in permanent and transitional the neighborhood grew up housing for homeless individu- going to Chavis and have als and families, short-term Black men pulled long awaited a time where rental subsidies and Durham’s the seemingly “forgotten” Homeless Management Infor- park matches up with mation System, which is a data- Pullen Park, its distant base of the confidential records cousin situated a short of Durham’s homeless. over most by Durham drive away. Included in the funding is a In an effort to preserve Durham Continuum of Care the history of the park and Planning Project grant of maintain the legacy of John $37,565 to measure and evalu- Chavis, a group of residents ate Durham's progress toward Police in daylight have formed Chavis Circle meeting the federal government of Friends. goals of reducing and ending “This is a group of indi- homelessness. viduals (whose) main objec- HUD Secretary Julian Castro Nonprofit developing an online analysis tool tive is to enhance the said: “A safe, stable home is the quality of life in the com- conducted by the department. foundation for opportunity in By Latisha Catchatoorian changes we’ve put in place suffi- munity, and preserve and To test for racial bias, re- all of our lives. That’s why we’re [email protected] ciently addressed those con- maintain the legacy of John searchers used the “veil of dark- continuing to challenge commu- cerns,” interim Durham police Chavis, since it is a memo- DURHAM – From 2010 to 2015, ness” approach, which is based nities to deploy proven strate- chief Larry Smith said. “It’s es- rial park,” group member the Durham Police Department on the assumption that officers gies to help people experiencing sential that we get an objective Craig Freeman said. “It’s a pulled over more black males in are unable to observe the race of homelessness find a place to view of our operations, and, in black memorial park. It was traffic stops than any other type a driver when it is dark outside. call home. Through unprece- turn, be willing to not only ac- the only park in the South- of driver, according to a study Using this method, researchers dented partnership among cept the findings, but continue east for a time, where conducted by RTI International. explored racial disproportional- every level of government and to work toward putting the nec- blacks could come.” Researchers found that when ity by comparing the race of private, nonprofit and philan- essary tools in place to correct The park was established traffic stops involved male driv- drivers stopped during daylight thropic organizations, we know the issues this analysis revealed, in 1937 and named after ers, black males were 20 percent to the race of those stopped dur- this goal is not just aspirational; and ensure that bias of any kind Chavis, an African-Ameri- more likely to be stopped during ing darkness. The study also ex- it’s achievable.” is never part of police opera- can minister and educator. daylight (when the race of the amined traffic stops between The following organizations tions.” The park still boasts the driver was more identifiable) 5:30 and 9 p.m., which is light or and programs received funding: The study found no evidence original carousel. than during times when it was dark depending on the time of • $55,611: Housing for New of disproportionate minority Freeman said Chavis Cir- dark. No evidence of racial bias year. Hope’s Andover Apartments contact in Raleigh, Fayetteville or cle of Friends hopes to im- was found among female driv- “This is a study that the (permanent housing for individ- Greensboro. RTI is developing a plement programming and ers. Durham Police Department re- uals) free online tool that will allow activities for residents like RTI researchers analyzed data quested to determine the possi- • $110,673: Durham Housing police departments and commu- computer classes, lectures provided to them by the DPD, re- bility of bias being a factor in our Authority’s Home Again Pro- nity members to conduct their on health and fitness, and viewing 151,700 traffic stops traffic stops and examine if the gram (permanent housing for Please see POLICE/2A games for children. Free- individuals and families) man said they want to be • $50,719: Housing for New able to take advantage of all Hope’s Dove House (transitional KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR the enhanced facilities once housing for single adult women the park revitalization takes in recovery from addictions) place. • $355,541: Housing for New Footloose and clean “Since we found out that Hope’s Streets-to-Home I & II Ini- they (the city) are getting tiative (permanent housing for ready to put $10 million chronically homeless individu- Instructor inspires people to ‘dance without sin’ into Chavis, we decided als and families) that if they’re going to do • $56,743: Housing for New By Latisha Catchatoorian that, someone needs to Hope’s William Square Apart- step up and keep the legacy [email protected] ments (permanent housing for alive so we can have pro- homeless individuals with dis- Stephanie Brown Kegler said grams for the entire com- abling conditions) that she used to be a VIP in the munity,” he said. • $25,917: Housing for New club, but now she clubs for Rick Clark, president of Hope’s Sherwood Park Apart- Jesus. Chavis Circle of Friends, ments (permanent housing for Kegler founded Dancing With- grew up going to the park individuals) out Sin Fitness LLC last August and remembers playing on • $55,752: The North Carolina “from a deep thought of the for- the airplane and swimming Coalition to End Homelessness’ gotten Christian.” With a love of with friends in the pool. N.C. Homeless Management In- dance and of music, she felt “Chavis Park was the formation Network project there was no better way to incor- scene to be at during the • $220,424: Housing for New porate both than by helping oth- weekend if you were Hope’s Rapid Rehousing I, II & III ers get fit and honoring her faith African-American. People Projects (short-term rental assis- at the same time. came from all over,” he tance to homeless households) “I needed a name (for my fit- said. “People came and • $37,565: City of Durham ness group) that would make COURTESY PHOTO John Chavis Park was just a Community Development De- people stop and think: ‘Now this Stephanie Brown Kegler wants to keep dancing clean. fantastic place to be and partment is different.’ There is no smok- great place to grow up and HUD plans to award approxi- ing, no drinking, no swearing – order (and filled a gap).” portant. She quoted 1 Corinthi- be involved with; a lot of mately $300 million in “Tier 2 just sweat, a towel and a water Kegler said many Christians ans 6:19-20 from the Bible: “Do heritage. It’s just a good grants” later in the spring to bottle,” Kegler said. “There are pray for the sick and visit the you not know that your bodies park.” support other Durham projects tons of exercise programs to elderly, but oftentimes forget are temples of the Holy Spirit, Clark said even though and hundreds more around the choose from, so I felt a fun-filled, that taking care of their tempo- who is in you, whom you have things are a little different nation.