The Washington Post
January 04, 1996, Thursday, Final Edition
Black Officers Seek Role in Community
BYLINE: John W. Fountain, Washington Post Staff Writer
The solemn band of Fairfax County police officers carried
flickering candles as they marched side by side with residents during a
community vigil for two young children killed in a fire. But it wasn't official
duty that moved the group of officers to help organize the vigil, which drew
several hundred people on a cold night to the Alexandria neighborhood where
5-year-old Darrion McCoy and his sister, Monique, 2, died in a house fire. It
was something more."These are our kids," said police Lt. Brian E.
Boykin, 31. "We have a vested interest in the people in this
community."
The officers are among 100 men and women who have formed the
Fairfax County Black Law Enforcement Officers Association, a group that aims,
among other things, to help bridge the gap between police and the county's
growing minority communities. The black police association, the county's first,
is made up of sworn officers and civilians who work for the sheriff's and
police departments. Their drive to improve relationships with the minority
community comes as police departments in Fairfax and across the country are
turning to "community policing," in which officers work regular beats
and get to know a neighborhood's residents.But black officers in Fairfax say
their off-the-job neighborhood campaign is just as valuable in promoting a
positive image of police, and they say it comes straight from the heart.They
talk of reaching out to the community. They want show that police departments
aren't simply "a clearinghouse for criminals."To that end, the group,
which was started by Boykin and Lt. David Holland last year, has hosted several
community fairs that have included workshops on crime prevention, financial
planning and child safety, along with attractions for children such as McGruff
the Crime Dog and clowns."We just wanted to try and do more in the black
community, something more positive," said Detective Steven Shillingford,
38, an 11-year officer. "We can give back to the community. To be able to
help someone is really what we're here for."Another goal of the
association is to help minority officers in the sheriff's and police
departments."It's a positive organization that we started here to get some
unity among our black officers, both females and males," said sheriff's
Deputy John Ortiz.Ortiz, 27, joined the sheriff's office two years ago, moving
from New York to Fairfax County. He didn't know anyone then and said a black
officers' association could have made his transition much easier. Now that it is
in place, Ortiz predicts that it will help other recruits in the future.The
association's mission statement says it will address issues that "create a
hostile work environment for minorities," help provide mentors for
officers and help recruit more minority officers.Blacks make up about 10
percent of officers on the county police force and roughly 15 percent of the
sheriff's force, according to the association. About 8 percent of 818,600
county residents in 1990 were black, while members of other minority groups
made up slightly more than 17 percent, according to U.S. Census figures. By
2000, county officials predict a growth of 123,000 residents, many of them
minorities.Officers had entertained the idea of starting a black police
officers' association for years."Even though we have a police union and a
police association, for the most part our needs weren't being addressed by
them. With that in mind, we were able to produce a system we thought would be
most effective for us," Boykin said. "It's not separatist. It's
looking out for your own interest."So far, fewer than half of the black
officers in the sheriff's and police departments have joined. But organizers
said they hope others will soon sign up, including officers of other racial or
ethnic groups.The association has been endorsed by Police Chief M. Douglas
Scott and Sheriff Carl R. Peed.Meanwhile, the officers continue their work in
the community.Recently they held another community fair at a Baptist church in
Reston, where officers cooked up a free fish dinner for residents, held a toy
drive and established a Christmas fund for needy families."We basically
served the community," Boykin said. "It was a good feeling to the
heart."