The afternoon of Sunday, June 7 saw the largest protest this year in Greensboro with an estimated 5,000 people downtown in and around LeBauer Park.
The morning of June 7, before the protest, which began at 2 p.m., Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan released the following statement:
To all who have been peacefully protesting in recent days, to all who are outraged by the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Marcus Deon Smith, and so many others: I hear you.
I hear your anger, your pain, your frustration of justice denied for far too long. I hear you crying out for a new way, for changes in priorities and policies, in systems and structures.
I want those things too.
Critical conversations are underway in City government and in the Police Department. We are exploring substantive changes in policies and procedures based on discussions within and led by our community. The City Council and I want to build on progress made in past years and quickly begin new initiatives.
We funded Cure Violence, a resident-led initiative that treats violence like a public health issue instead of a police issue. This program is already having an impact. We will build on that good work.
We recognized the need to have mental health workers ready to respond to individuals experiencing a mental health or addiction-related crisis. The City created a program that “dually dispatches” police and mental health workers to a scene when 911 operators identify a call where they are needed. It’s a new program but already shows benefits to people and families in distress. Most of all, it reduces the amount of time police spend on scene and leaves the caller with certified mental health workers.
We were the first city in North Carolina to require police body cameras. City Council members and I have repeatedly gone to the North Carolina General Assembly to ask them to make body camera footage accessible to the public.
In early February, our newly-sworn-in Police Chief Brian James issued a directive to restrict officers from shooting at moving vehicles. This is one of the Action Items outlined in “8 Can’t Wait,” the “Police Use of Force Project,” and former President Obama’s Mayors Challenge.
I have accepted President Obama’s challenge. In the coming days I am committed to several key steps:
Step 1 is to thoroughly review our policies.
Step 2 is to engage the community.
Step 3 is to report back in 90 days.
Step 4 is to implement substantive reform.
The City Council and I are already working to make our City safe and prosperous for all people, regardless of the color of their skin. We are helping to build safe and affordable housing. Making it easier for people to buy their first home. Expanding the number of contracts the City awards to women- and minority-owned businesses. Providing a $15 an hour living wage for every City employee.
There is more hard work to do. I am committed to doing it.
In the meantime, I am grateful to the leadership of local activists and groups who are working to keep protests peaceful and as safe as possible for all. Peaceful protest is in the very DNA of our city. To be charged with the health, safety and well-being of a large and diverse community is an extremely challenging task. We promise that even as we seek to keep everyone safe, we will continue to honor your right to make your voices heard.
Please keep doing the work. I hear you.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan
You have messed up North Carolina hold Summer by canceling the fun fourth the music in the park and the swimming pools are you happy now you think we will forget all about this when it comes time to vote but we want.
She asks for protests to continue? Is she for real? Hope her neighborhood gets hit with a “peaceful” protest like downtown did.
Ms. Vaughn is doing what she was elected to do. All this profiling is a “whole lot of nothing”. Violence, riots, assaults, burglaries, arsons, are FELONIES. You can’t ‘splain it away with something warm and cuddly. I have no figures, but it looks like a WHOLE LOT of people lost their businesses, their life savings; assaulted and terrorized to boot. Some have been killed. All the rioters are accessories to these crimes, and should be charged. Of course now, the police can’t return force with force, so they just stand aside and let’m have at it. If anyone reading this participated in these riots, your are just as responsible for the damage as anyone else, and you know it.
Mayor you are a rascal person you do know that all white people are called white surprises so you said we are not wanted here will we don’t want you here rather. THAT IS CALLING CALL WHITE PEOPLE TO LEAVE .
Nothing like reading some swill from Nancy Vaughan to make me happy I live in another county.
The mayor and the city council are turning Greensboro to be more like Camden, NJ. Greensboro is a very dangerous place and the city cannot protect you or your businesses. All the good citizen of Greensboro should move and take your businesses elsewhere.
OBAMA/ she still clinging to obama. the worst pres in AMERICA who did nothing but try to destroy AMERICA. did nothing for the blacks. stupid woman.
Well, yes and no. In terms of damage to our country, Obama IS the worst president. But LBJ is really the worst: destruction of the currency, the manufactured Viet Nam War, buying the Black Vote with Great Society goodies; and even worse, complicity in the murder of his superior.
Have you known of any Democrat that has done anything for the american people…I would hate to know I was a member of this corrupt party