The most pivotal law enforcement figure in Asheville is relative newcomer Tammy Hooper, chief of the city’s police department. Xpress recently sat down with Hooper for an extended interview about her role as leader, the state of the department and police-community relations.
Tag: Asheville Police Department
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Mayor calls $74 million bond referendum catalyst for equity
Mayor Esther Manheimer delivered her State of Asheville speech on Tuesday, Oct. 4. It stressed the need for the city to foster equity before ultimately advocating for approval of $74 million in bond referendums to achieve equity goals.
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A life remembered: Family and friends recall ‘Jerry’ Williams
“If I could say one thing about Jerry that people need to know — he had a giving heart, he had a giving soul,” says special friend Ervinia Petty. “He wasn’t a saint, but he was an angel.”
Culture clash: Facing up to Asheville’s troubled police-community relations
The task of establishing and/or re-establishing trust between vulnerable communities — especially people of color — and the Asheville Police Department will be a challenging one. And especially in the wake of controversial police use of force over the summer, there is vocal criticism of the department. But the way Chief Tammy Hooper sees it, the APD must rise to that challenge.
Taking a stand for racial justice: An activist’s view
“I joined the circle because parents of color have to worry about their kids encountering the wrong officer in a way my parents never did.”
Asheville groups seek common ground on city police Use of Force policy
While July was marked by a series of protests, rallies and demands for changes to the APD’s approach to policing in the city’s marginalized communities — especially its 11 public housing neighborhoods — August saw a shift in tone, with the outline of a collaborative process arising out of discussions among the APD, City Council and a wide range of community groups convened by the Racial Justice Coalition.
Letter writer: Black people are denied justice and truth
” I would say the repeated, almost daily, killing of unarmed and nonviolent black men, boys, women and girls is absolutely heartbreaking, soul-destroying and completely depressing.”
Family Justice Center provides one-stop resource for domestic and sexual abuse victims
Buncombe County’s new Family Justice Center will be a one-stop resource for victims of abuse. However, the Asheville area hasn’t always been as intentional about helping victims escape abuse.
Carolina Public Press reports: Jai Lateef Williams had previously faced felony charges, questions mount
By Frank Taylor, Carolina Public Press This story is from Carolina Public Press, a nonprofit online news service focused on in-depth and investigative reporting in Western North Carolina. ASHEVILLE – Contrary to several previous news media reports, Jai Lateef “Jerry” Williams had faced charges of serious criminal activity prior to July 2 when an Asheville Police Officer shot him, […]
APD arrests raise troubling questions
“The public needs a better understanding of the challenges the police face daily — and the police need to show greater empathy for the people they’re sworn to protect.”
Letter writer: Rethink your battles, protesters
“When it comes to a point that the Asheville police can’t protect the public without backlash, then what do you want? “
APD arrests protestors and Xpress reporter at downtown station
On Friday, July 22, Asheville Police Department officers arrested a group of protestors who had been demonstrating in the lobby of the police and fire station at 100 Court Plaza since the previous day. Along with the protestors, Xpress reporter Dan Hesse also was arrested.
Letter writer: Where is Justice4Jerry coverage?
“Although web-based Xpress content has reflected this story, the print version doesn’t even acknowledge that it happened.”
Protesters given 2 p.m. deadline: must leave APD lobby or face arrest
Protestors occupying the lobby of APD’s downtown station have been given an ultimatum: leave the lobby by 2 p.m. or face arrest.
Civil rights advocate: APD used excessive force in Williams shooting, failed to render aid
Speaking on behalf of the family of Jerry Williams, who was fatally shot by an Asheville police officer on July 2, civil rights activist John Barnett of Charlotte called today for an end to the excessive force that he said often results in the deaths of black men at the hands of police.
Updated: Community gathers to mourn Jerry Williams, protest police shootings of black men
Community members, family members of Jai Lateef Solveig Williams and supporters of Asheville Black Lives Matter gathered in front of the Buncombe County Courthouse at Pack Square Park on Tuesday, July 5 to protest Williams’ shooting death on July 2 by an Asheville Police officer.
Letter writer: Call police about suspicious activity
‘There is an old proverb that goes, ‘Many hands make light work’; we can do that for our community.’
Scanner silence: Buncombe Sheriff’s department encrypts radio traffic for officer safety
The Sheriff’s Department wants to protect officers and catch bad guys, and to do that better, they have made it impossible to listen to their radio traffic. But it hasn’t made communication with the APD any easier and some see the move as harmful to the flow of information to the public.
Council to vote on latest proposal in Haywood Street saga
While the theme is familiar — what to do with city-owned property facing the Basilica of St. Lawrence and the U.S. Cellular Center? — the current proposal has a twist: let the whole community weigh in on the future of a beloved, yet contentious, space.
Asheville inches closer to police body camera rollout
The Asheville Police Department trails the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in rolling out police body cameras — but the city is trying to catch up. Police Chief Tammy Hooper outlined a draft policy for the cameras at a recent panel discussion, and says the first cameras will be deployed by summer. We look into what needs to happen between now and then to make that schedule happen.