Altadena Sheriff's Captain Pledges Better Communication, More Courtesy

An ad hoc committee formed to address concerns over the relationship between police and community members presented nine recommendations Thursday night that are designed to help improve community relations.

Since a , McLean had convened the ad hoc committee to discuss recommendations for improving community relations with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

At the November meeting, some residents complained about racial profiling, officers' perceived lack of courtesy and .

At the core of the problem, said various community members, is communication and courtesy.  Various people said the officers and people who are stopped by them both need to treat each other with more courtesy, and the Sheriff's Department needs to be involved in the community more overall.

"One of the key issues that was raised [at the November meeting] was the issue of communication between the Sheriff's Department and the community, and our Captain made a commitment at that meeting that he would up the communication," said Brent Musson, a resident and community leader who served on the panel.  "Most of the volatility from that meeting was based on miscommunication."

Capt. Steve McLean, for his part, said that participating in community events and getting to know teenagers in Altadena would be a big priority for him and his deputies.

Thursday night's meeting, unlike November's, was lightly attended, and was focused more on the committee presentation and less on receiving community input. 

The committee specifically recommended that the department do more to get to know members of Altadena's black community, who historically have had problems with the department.  One of the recommendations listed by the committee was for department members to participate in the annual Black History Parade and other events in the African-American committee.

• Gary Moody, a community activist and attendee of the first meeting
• Dr. Sandra Thomas, a Town Council member and director of the Quality Life Center
• Phyllis Harris, of the Altadena NAACP
• The Rev. Barry Faison, Clergy Council
• Pastor Jean Burch, Community Bible Church
• Bernadine Broadous, a local educator
• Brent Musson, a local resident who voiced concerns at the November meeting

Lt. Roosevelt Johnson, McLean and Deputy Lamark Williams represented the Altadena Sheriff's Station.

The committee's recommendations, which can be viewed in full in the photo section of this article include:

• Conduct a survey of the community to find out the important issues with regards to relations with the police
• Work on establishing a mentoring relationship between deputies and children in the community
• Investigate any allegations of discourtesy on the part of deputies dealing with community members
• Get police more involved in local events involving the black community and recruit more black children into the Sheriff's Department Explorer's Program
• Increase communication opportunities with youth by creating a Facebook page and producing a video on what kids should do when they encounter a sheriff's deputy.

Individual panel members presented each recommendation.  Gary Moody, a community member who raised concerns with the department at the November meeting, told the audience about the complaint process and how it worked for him after he felt badly treated by a deputy.

"If you call [the sheriff's department to file a complaint] don’t be afraid to say what  is on your mind...a close mind and a close mouth gets nothing," Moody said.  "Any allegation of discourtesy or lack of professionalism will be investigated and dealt with."

He said that in his case, he was satisfied with how the problem was resolved after he went through the complaint process.

McLean said that the department will continue to host periodic town hall meetings to address community concerns.