MADISON, Wis.– To say members of the local Black community are ready for newly sworn-in Chief Shon Barnes to take over is an understatement. Madison’s Black community has been waiting and working for change within Madison’s Police Department since last summer’s protests.
Now that Barnes is officially in charge, they’re both hopeful and skeptical he can make a lasting impact.
Claude Gilmore, Vice President of Madison’s Black Chamber of Commerce, believes Barnes’ success will rely on two things: relationships and trust. Gilmore hopes Barnes is ready to build both within the Black community as he begins his new role.
“It will all come down to execution,” said Gilmore. “Those two things are really, really hard to come by if you don’t have the right kind of approach.”
Gilmore and community action groups like Urban Triage agree that a trusting relationship between police and Madison’s black community has never existed.
“I think Madison is a magnifying glass of what is happening around the country,” said Alex Booker, communications specialist for Urban Triage. “There is deep mistrust everywhere.”
Because of that, Booker is skeptical Dr. Barnes is the leader that can bring about change. However, he is willing to give Barnes a chance. So is Gilmore.
“It takes someone at the top to say, ‘We are going to have a new attitude,’” said Gilmore. “But it is also what exists within the bottom of the organization. What are the attitudes of the people at the bottom of the system? Do they want to make change? And do they really want to do something different?”
Gilmore is encouraged that Barnes is a Black man himself, but he says that is not enough.
“It’s not the color of the person. It’s the skills they bring,” he explained. “Folks don’t want to be brought in just because they’re a color. They want them brought in because they’re competent. And they just happen to be someone of color.”
“A lot of people think that just because he’s Black that means he’s going to automatically be in tune with what’s going on in Madison,” added Booker. “People think that, right away, he can fix it. And we know that doesn’t happen.”
Both leaders want to see Barnes out in the community, building trust and forming relationships with locals.
“When you bring someone into the community, you’re not just hiring them to work. You’re hiring them to live in the community,” said Gilmore. “And those are two unique things.”
Booker agrees. “One of the first things he should be doing, if he wants to mend relationships with the Black community, is to reach out to people who are already on the front lines doing the work,” he explained.
Gilmore and Booker agree it will take time to mend the relationship between officers and the people they serve. There are currently more than 600 officers and employees working for the Madison Police Department.
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