The NAACP and is calling for Salisbury Police Chief Rory Collins to resign amid what Rowan NAACP President Scott Teamer said are continued complaints of excessive force and misconduct by Salisbury police officers.
Teamer and the Rev Bill Godair will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. today at Cornerstone Church, 315 Webb Road.
“We believe that a need for change of leadership is necessary,” Teamer said Monday afternoon.
Teamer said the NAACP and Godair, pastor of Cornerstone Church, are calling for Collins to step down.
But Collins said he spoke with Godair earlier in the day, and the pastor told him that he was not planning to seek his removal or resignation, “but to have a press conference on other police matters.”
Collins said he didn’t want to comment further before the press conference,
A message left for Godair seeking comment was not immediately returned.
Teamer said police officers have not exhibited proper training.
“We haven’t been able to gain any cooperation with leadership of making a culture change,” he said. “We don’t want to see Salisbury end up like Missouri.”
Ferguson, Mo., has seen protests and violence since unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was repeatedly shot by a police officer a week ago.
Teamer said the NAACP continues to get complaints against one officer. He declined to name the officer.
He said elderly men have been the victims of “the same officer that has been involved in these complaints.”
He said several members of Godair’s church have recently been mistreated.
“We think it’s time for new direction and new partnership,” Teamer said.
He said being aggressive with all citizens is not being tough on crime.
Teamer said it’s not personal, but he questions the strategy of the police chief and “we think he just can’t handle it.”
Teamer did not provide specific examples of the police chief’s strategies that he questions.
He did say that “education should be questioned when there is no improvement or results.”
When asked if he meant whether Collins’ educational background qualified him to be chief, Teamer did not clarify.
Teamer said there are pending lawsuits. “There hasn’t been any closure in several deplorable complaints,” he said.
He said one officer who has made recent news, “is still getting complaints, but there has not been any penalty or reprimand.”
“There is evidence of cases where people of all races have been mistreated. It’s not just African Americans who are claiming they are being mistreated,” Teamer said.
There are other issues, Teamer said, but he declined to go into detail.
Teamer said he also plans to inform the City Council he intends to seek a citizens’ review board, “regardless of the City Council taking our request or demands seriously.”
The request for an independent review board has been brought up before. Officials have said the only way a review board can be established is by approval from the state General Assembly. Other law enforcement agencies have a citizens’ review board, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the city of Durham.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.