Gathering of African-American leaders will honor Annapolis police

Four years after the death of George Floyd, the Caucus of African American Leaders expresses confidence in the Annapolis Police Department. Yes, you read that right.

In a “historic” event, the Maryland Police Department and ACLU will be honored by the Caucus of African American Leaders – a coalition of hundreds of people from civil rights groups that includes members of the NAACP, the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and others. The coalition was founded in 2013.

“Often a vote of no confidence occurs. This happens when there is police misconduct and it leads to protests, demonstrations and boycotts – and rightly so,” said Carl O. Snowden, chairman of the Caucus of African American Leaders.

But in the case of the Annapolis Police Department, which has already twice passed a vote of no confidence against Snowden’s organization under previous police chiefs in 2016 and 2019, the agency’s recent efforts are commendable.

“We believe that police officers should be criticized when they do something wrong, but when they do the right thing, they should be praised,” Snowden said.

Snowden said that in addition to having the second black police chief in history, Edward Jackson, the department is also the most diverse department in its history — pointing to an increasing number of women and African-American officers. He also pointed to the department’s returning citizen program, which Snowden said is “one of the best” in Maryland.

The first black officer did not join the department until 1960 – and even then, according to Snowden, black officers were not allowed to arrest white people.

These factors have significantly improved police-community relations, said Snowden, who also mentioned a recent successful gun return operation by the agency, which he said was a “great indicator” of the agency’s improved relationship with the public.

Snowden praised the ACLU’s “long history of success,” specifically mentioning the organization’s lawsuit against the Caroline County town of Federalsburg, which challenged voting rights. The lawsuit allowed African Americans to be elected to the town council for the first time, Snowden said. In the 200 years of its existence, no African American has served on that town council, Snowden added.

“It’s amazing that these two organizations are recognized at the same time,” he said. “Some people see them as complete opposites.”

The two organizations will be officially honored tonight at 5 p.m. at the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center, 1101 Smithville St., in Annapolis. The free event is open to the public and will feature a catered menu. The event will be held on a first-come, first-served basis and can accommodate about 100 attendees, according to Snowden.