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LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – “Lincoln Cops have skilled harassment, discrimination, and retaliation for years even many years,” Luke Bonkiewicz, former Lincoln Police Officer mentioned.
10/11 NOW spoke with three former Lincoln cops who mentioned talking out towards the town was by no means the plan.
“This was by no means meant to show into lawsuits or something like that,” Former Sergeant Angela Sands mentioned. “None of us needed that, we needed to make the division higher.”
However they mentioned after what they skilled whereas working for the division and what they imagine continues to be ongoing, they felt there wasn’t one other selection.
“I’m sitting right here in entrance of you at this time as a result of clearly, I’m representing one thing that has been a name to motion for the Lincoln Police Division,” Erin Spilker, former public data officer for LPD mentioned.
Bonkiewicz, Sands, and Spilker sat down with 10/11 after the town launched the outcomes of a survey performed by twenty first Century Policing aimed toward analyzing LPD’s insurance policies, procedures, and tradition to make sure it is freed from harassment and discrimination. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird introduced the survey after a former officer, Sarah Williams, obtained a settlement from the town for a lawsuit she filed alleging sexual harassment and discrimination. Three different officers have additionally filed comparable lawsuits however litigation is ongoing.
The outcomes of the survey confirmed 16 girls, 47% of those that responded to this query, reported they too had encountered discrimination or harassment whereas working for LPD. 18 girls, or 53%, reported they’d not encountered discrimination or harassment.
In the course of the press convention, neither the mayor nor Chief Teresa Ewins addressed that statistic particularly, although the representatives from twenty first Century Policing famous that will probably be a problem for LPD to work via the polarization proven in that reply.
“I believe that the problem will likely be to simply accept that individuals deliver totally different lived experiences and to the desk, and that the group actually must help a tradition of listening to those that, with whom we generally disagree, and present respect for variations of opinion,” Kathleen O’Toole, with twenty first Century Policing mentioned.
Sands, Spilker, and Bonkiewicz mentioned they felt the survey and the town glossed over this difficulty.
“16 girls had been courageous sufficient to talk up,” Spilker mentioned. “16 girls had been courageous sufficient to reply that survey and say I used to be discriminated towards, I used to be harassed. 16 courageous girls and that quantity was minimized.”
Sands fears the quantity is increased.
“We had our mates that also work there reaching out to us saying we’re too scared to take it,” Sands mentioned. “What if they will see the outcomes and in order that concern continues to be in them.”
Metropolis officers mentioned the survey was despatched out to LPD workers on a hyperlink unbiased from the town and workers had been allowed to take it each time, wherever they needed.
“They weren’t monitored,’ Ewins mentioned. “I imply, that’s a key a part of that is to guarantee that we get, honesty and no strain, no stress on them.
However Bonkiewicz mentioned that’s not the expertise he had.
“I used to be advised to report back to a police captain’s workplace to take the survey,” Bonkiewicz mentioned. “I took the survey within the police captain’s workplace whereas my survey solutions had been broadcast on the massive display screen TV of the convention room and the captain sat at his desk.”
Bonkiewicz mentioned the captain who was there was solely following orders but it surely makes him query the validity of the outcomes.
“If I used to be pressured to supply a positive response I ponder how many individuals felt that strain from supervisors or from directors,” Bonkiewicz mentioned.
10/11 requested the division about this accusation that Bonkiewicz was required to take the survey supervised and in regards to the former officers’ categorization that the town didn’t take the survey outcomes relating to the 16 girls dealing with assault significantly sufficient.
Ewins didn’t reply questions associated to these matters. She mentioned, right now, the division won’t touch upon questions associated to pending lawsuits.
Ewins did, nevertheless, reply the query associated to the subsequent steps of the twenty first Century Policing survey.
“Now we have reviewed the report and are partaking our employees to create a guiding doc with suggestions submitted by our employees and finest practices. This doc will likely be finalized by December fifth and positioned on the division residence web page for the media and the general public entry,” Ewins mentioned within the assertion.
Spilker mentioned she hopes the continued consideration on the problems will lastly deliver progress after years of talking up.
“This isn’t an simply solved drawback, it isn’t,” Spilker mentioned. “But when we do nothing about it, you’ve got a run-away practice in your palms and it’s by no means going to get higher.”
Sands mentioned the previous officers now have the help of the Time’s Up Authorized Protection Fund, which helps individuals who have confronted sexual harassment or retaliation within the workforce.
“It’s good to have somebody are available and validate you so we’re going to assist make this modification,” Sands mentioned. “The entire level of this was to result in change and it’s become one thing greater than can hopefully impact that change and make Lincoln safer.”
To see the total outcomes of the twenty first Century Policing survey click on right here: https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/files/sharedassets/public/police/workplaceassessment.pdf
To observe the total press convention on the survey click on right here: https://lnktv.lincoln.ne.gov/CablecastPublicSite/show/254?channel=1
Copyright 2022 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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