Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Though he didn't outright say it, Louisiana State Police Superintendent, Col. Lamar Davis seemed to indicate that if the Department of Justice (DOJ) decides to investigate the agency, he would have no qualms about it. Davis hinted at his acceptance of what may come after addressing allegations of excessive force caused by troopers under his watch once again. There have been calls for the DOJ to intervene after the public has learned about more alleged misconduct cases related to arrests and subsequent beatings suffered by motorists when troopers have pulled them over. Davis questioned why 67% of force related cases have been committed against Black people but did not apply pressure to the alleged violators under his leadership. The Superintendent surely must be aware of the history and many studies that have proven how police (mainly White) officers have violated the civil rights of Black people and escaped reprimand and justice. He also said he doesn't want to be stopped and thrown against a car just because he is a Black male. By that statement alone, Davis is telling the public that as long as he has been a police officer, he is aware of what has happened to thousands of Black men (and women) who have become victims of police brutality, yet he wants to know why. In a word: racism. Nonetheless, Davis is in the unique position of being able to do what his predecessor(s) didn't do, and that is to bring accountability back to the agency. After watching footage of some videos that were kept locked away, Davis said that he was challenged emotionally in perhaps seeing how Black people are treated compared to Whites, from the perspective of a law enforcement officer and as a citizen. Millions of Americans have called for police reform of local officials; some know that relief may only come from the Justice Department. Maybe that is why some Black Louisiana officials are calling for AG Merrick Garland to come to Louisiana as he did in Minneapolis and other cities. Perhaps officials believe that the agency is not about to police itself, judging from what has been happening with LSP concerning alleged coverups. The only reason we are at this stage is because of the leaked videos of Ronald Greene's death over two years ago and that of Aaron Bowman's beating that he survived. Davis appeared to insist that he is already doing something, explaining that he is looking into using an outside organization to review or take a look into his agency. Simply to a community that has seen studies/reviews/investigations, it will all come down to the truth, honesty, and allowing another agency to reveal things hidden in plain sight to the public. Even after all of that, the big question is, does the agency want to change? The outcome will prove if those in charge of protecting and serving our communities uphold the truth and share it in an effort to be transparent. Records revealed a high-ranking officer present at Greene's arrest had video footage of the beating but denied it to officials. The official wasn't disciplined for his non-action, because as Davis said, the agency "couldn't determine" whether that official kept the footage on purpose. Another example of the police not policing the police. The public can only rely on what it is told, as police departments control the information and narrative, some of which are not always true. We have seen it in the Greene and Bowman incidents and have heard of the top brass at LSP involved in alleged coverups. Sometimes, tidbits of the truth emerge, as in the above reference. The May 20, 2021 meeting of LSP brass with a Union Parish DA got the attention of the DOJ after the DA forwarded his findings to the DOJ, causing them to take an interest in Greene's death. For his part, Davis said that he did not ask DA John Belton or any other official not to pursue charges on any of his employees. Davis said that he would never do that and has never done that. The question now becomes, does he know of any LSP brass that did? It all goes back to trust.