By Heart of Illinois ABC
Elected leaders in Bloomington said they are listening to protesters demanding the end of systematic racism in law enforcement after George Floyd died in Minneapolis Police custody.
Mayor Tari Renner and the city council at Monday night’s council meeting barely mentioned the rioting and looting that targeted some local businesses, and instead focused on peaceful demonstrations.
A couple of looters pushed Renner to the ground outside Kohl’s Department store at Eastland Mall last Monday night. He said the city has made several improvements in recent years to improve relations between the police and the public. Specifically, he noted police wear body cameras, and the council created a civilian police panel, known as the Public Safety and Community Relations Board.
The mayor said he made a pledge over the weekend, at former President Barack Obama’s request of all mayors, to reexamine and improve the city’s law enforcement practices.
“We have to invest in preventative strategies and invest in social programs and our citizens that will reduce the likelihood of any kind of tragedies, or situations, or friction for the future of our city.”
“Doing nothing is not an option in Bloomington,” Renner said.
Council member Jenn Carrillo was the only elected official who said the city should consider reducing funding for local police. She said leaders need to think critically whether the justice system is “inherently good and can be reformed or whether it’s a system that was built on bad principle and needs to be completely and radically reimagined.”
“I’d like to think of myself as an abolitionist, and while that sounds really radical, I actually think it’s very possible,” Carrillo also said.
Council member Julie Emig called on the police board to make recommendations for policy changes, while member Joni Painter said she’s glad people are having the “difficult conversations about race.”
“I’m very glad that this spark has finally caught fire. This conversation is way past overdue in our country, and I certainly hope that we don’t lose the momentum that has begun now,” Painter said.
“Hopefully some hearts have been turned, and some minds have been changed. I just don’t want this to wither and die,” Painter also said.
“Change never happens from siting on the couch,” said Council member Jamie Mathy.
“I know in my soul that Black Lives Matter,” Council member Scott Black said.
“I am supportive of these protesters because Black Lives Matter,” said Council member Kimberly Bray.
“Racism, the destructive forces that drive it, and the incidents that stem from it, even if incidental, must be addressed,” said Bray.
