PB Hosts Community Forum with MCPD

Gerald Arung Bate, Staff Writer

On Tuesday, November 15, the Montgomery County Police Department held a forum with students at Paint Branch High School to provide an opportunity for students, their families, administrators, and staff to discuss important issues.

At the forum, students had a chance to question and better understand local police and the methods upon which the Police Department operates. They also had a chance to discuss any changes that might occur under new President-Elect Donald J. Trump’s rhetoric, which consistently singled out minorities and women.

Police Chief J.T. Manger and his crew of officers revealed a side of police officers that the media and social media often fail to report and also attempted to build bridges and provide students in attendance at the meeting with a clearer understanding of the police force and its inner workings.

Some questions the officers fielded ranged from the new President-Elect’s rhetoric on immigrants, to the safest ways to protest, to police accountability. Chief Manger explained that MCPD “is not interested in where people come from and will not deport anyone regardless of what President-Elect Donald J. Trump says or does.” He also noted that this policy would not change under any other president.

Chief Manger also attempted to quell some of the rumors that exist about the police and the accountability system, and focused on the facts that elected officials and county supervisors are in charge of “policing the police” and often their reports are open to the public.

One of the more-somber moments occurred when the Chief stated that he believes and supports the Black Lives Matter Movement because they are not an anti-police movement a sentiment Rev. Al Sharpton gave voice to.