Comments on: Decatur Police Cite “Extenuating Circumstances”, Find No Evidence of Racial Profiling After Investigation

By: Deanne

Deanne — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 16:27:27 +0000

You provided the information about your neighborhood– it’s in your linked name. I apologize for making you upset. I enjoyed our conversation and meant only to jog your memory. [ DM, if you would, please snip the comment.]

I’m well aware of the other incidents. The investigation also makes clear that Investigator Hall was fully up to speed. What I don’t assume– and what I would hope that she wouldn’t either– is that daytime burglaries can only be committed by one age or race at a time.

While I fully recognize that as a white female I can’t possibly know how it feels to be racially profiled, it’s a shame that you don’t seem to be open to considering that I may have borne witness to racial profiling or have had family or close friends that have experienced it or have been in situations where it’s seemed that my white presence might have been influencing an outcome that might not have happened otherwise. Because I have. But even if I hadn’t, it seems to me it’d be worth you putting up with some exasperation caused by me and other well meaning white folks if there’s to be hope of changing what we don’t like.

By: Unincorporated Dekalb

Unincorporated Dekalb — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 15:43:27 +0000

@Deane City of Atlanta and DeKalb County and Decatur have noted ALL breakins where there has been a citing of the preps or where they’ve been caught have been attributed to teens. All three police depts have surprisingly collaborated. Therefore, a good officer would have this information.

As you’ve pretty much all but given my address, I’ll say my n’hood has been affected, so I’ve kept close tabs on this. Apparently and thankfully, your hood hasn’t so it appears you aren’t aware of the facts, as I see that you had no prior knowledge and, like the officer, you couldn’t piece this bit of info together.

By: Deanne

Deanne — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 13:55:01 +0000

Unincorporated Dekalb, we probably both need to be done with this thread. For me, it’s proving difficult to adequately express myself on this in writing and there’s also no point when there’s not been much interest shown on here in having a conversation about it. I did want to acknowledge your comment, though. Looking through what all I’ve written, I mashed together two facts that have left you thinking that I think Investigator Hall thought Mr. Denard was a black teen. I don’t think that. That Mr. Denard is a black man is something any sighted person would immediately note, but I don’t know what age Investigator Hall would’ve ballparked him to be. Nor do I have any way of knowing how much (if at all) she might’ve weighed either factor as she was deciding on whether her observations of him emerging from the side of the house, adjusting his clothing, and not stopping at the mailbox merited further investigation. I’m not doubting that you’ve heard what you’ve heard, but I also can’t help but wonder, if it’s so, how does Investigator Hall come across when interacting with residents of other races? Another thing I wonder about is, if it’s so, have any of the African Americans who’ve had an unpleasant encounter with her ever sought to have it dealt with after it occurred? I don’t expect you to answer– just putting it put there because it seems like the answers would matter.

(BTW, we’ve met. I introduced myself and we sat together at the DeKalb Delegation’s Town Hall at Agnes Scott about a year ago.)

By: Unincorporated Dekalb

Unincorporated Dekalb — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 02:09:11 +0000

@Deane.Thought I was through with this thread, but saw a picture today of Mr. Denard. Nice looking older guy, but there is no way in hell this man could be mistaken for a teen. Plus in the photo he wore a baseball cap. No disrespect to Mr. Denard, but if this officer thinks this man was even in his 30’s she needs eyeglasses. Perod, end of subject. Also, I discovered who the “Officer” is and she has a huge chip on her shoulder toward African Americans.

By: DecaturNupe

DecaturNupe — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 23:05:49 +0000

Truthfully we have no idea who has been committing crimes. It is assumed that they are being done by young black men. That assumption is in itself racist. You may argue that some were caught. I have not heard that and would argue some not all would leave other robbers on the loose. Probably those 15 yr old white girls (Got to watch the not so obvious).

As a young black man that was reared in the Atlanta metro, I have been stopped for no reason several times. Once the officer, Dekalb County, slapped me when I asked why he was pulling me over and I hadn’t done anything. Another time the officer (APD) threatened to put a dime bag of weed in my pocket. After begging him not to and showing him my ID he let me go with a warning.
Generally, speaking most officers are not officer freindly. They cannot be trusted and if one is smart they will only call the police when you have no choice. Additionally, i am a criminal defense attorney and after years of practice the ruth of the matter is that police lie just as much as the defendants. I believe that the gentleman was racially profiled and the officer should be discplined. However, this will not come to pass, as evidenced by the acceptance of the CYA report.