7.3: Analysis of the social, political, legal, and economic forces that influenced the development and emergence of the policy

Problem Statement:

York experienced decades of racial tension, culminating in the 1969 Riots. The causal factors of the 69 riots in York have been identified as: poor housing; jobs; education; poverty; and police abuse toward Blacks and with the blessing of the white in the community. These issues are described and discussed in a pre-riot and post-riot format indicating what was and what has been accomplished in order to prevent the event from reoccurring in York (Kalish, 2000).

The political atmosphere preceding and during this period was one of oblivion and denial, rather than confrontation of the issues of poor housing, education and employment opportunities for Black residents; much like American society of the same period. Kalish (2000) asserts “The triggers for the riots were the city’s refusal to provide recreation programs and facilities in Black neighborhoods, refusal to enforce housing codes that affected the living conditions of Blacks, the unwarranted use of police power and the arrogance of the mayor and other community leaders” (p.72). Further highlighting the lack of policy or themes relating to race, culture and the public safety is revealed in the Investigatory Hearings into Causes of Racial Tension in York, Pennsylvania. Human Relations Commission finds York has high potential for violence due to either the inability or unwillingness on the part of the community and local government to address the grievances of the Negro residents (as cited by Kalish, 2000, Chapter 4).

The remnants of a 1969 race riot were only recently resolved in criminal trials in 2001 and 2002 convicting four persons after trial and accepting pleas from four others in exchange for their testimony. The convictions were for the murders of one black female (Lillie Belle Allen) and one white police officer (Officer Henry Schadd); one of the accused and ultimately acquitted after a nationally recognized trial, was Mayor Charlie Robertson who at the time of the riots was a York City Police Officer accused of providing bullets to white gang members.

Robertson was elected to the school board in 1975 (Bunch, 2001). He first ran for mayor in 1993, was re-elected in 1997, and was again running in 2001 when he was indicted for Murder during the 1969 Riots. Robertson was aware of the pending Grand Jury Investigation but sought a third term in 2001, and had won a tight race in the Democratic primary against city councilman Ray Crenshaw. Within two days of the election results legal charges were brought and Robertson was arrested and put in handcuffs (Cline, 2001 and Bunch, 2001). Crenshaw was the first black man to have run for mayor of York (Cline, 2001). Robertson was reluctant to withdraw from the Mayoral race but gave way through pressure by political supporters convinced him to do so "for the betterment of York"(Bunch, 2001). Fellow Democrat John S. Brenner was ultimately elected as the next mayor. He took office in 2002 and subsequently hired Mark Whitman as his Police Commissioner.

The required healing process laid in wait for nearly forty years and what must be determined if it is too late to heal (Longman, 2001; Lueck, 2002; & New York Times, 2002). Reviewing discussions of race and change since the 1950’s offered by Ore (2009) appears appropriate when drawing a comparison with television sitcoms, “The five decades can be summed up in the French Phrase, Plus change, plus c’est la meme chose (the more things change, the more they stay the same)” (p. 460). The political, neighborhood, and economic leaders required new policy to break the status quo and usher in the new millennium. Mayor John Brenner, (Personal Interview, 2011) alludes to the healing process of York and improvements of relationships are based on attitude and the conduct of government.

Community Oriented Policing and Problem Oriented Policing (COP/POP) strategies became the policy of the day. In order to address concerns of racial profiling and police misuse of authority the York City Police Force designed programs meeting community needs while being sensitive to its residents was the policy of Mayor John Brenner; to name a few Nuisance Abatement, Clean Sweeps, Neighborhood Enforcement Units, Curfew Center and Civil Enforcement Units, availability of the Police Commissioner at neighborhood meetings, access to crime information on daily basis and police officers becoming more approachable. The mission of York’s Community Policing Model is to preserve neighborhoods by reducing crime and eliminating the fear of crime by increased attention to quality of life issues and equality in enforcement for all residence Advance strategies that promote neighborhood stability and livability; Encourage positive activity and behaviors that contribute to a higher quality of life in the community; Eliminate community nuisance and crime problems such as public intoxication, abandoned buildings and vehicles, open drug markets and drug houses, prostitution, public gambling, loitering, nuisance dogs, loud music and unacceptable levels of garbage, litter and waste materials on the property; Identify critical leverage points that if eliminated, diminished and/or disrupted will result in an environment where serious crime cannot flourish, close down properties with code violations; Develop and expand the number and range of strategies that are most effective at fighting quality of life crimes and abating long-term illegal conduct; and Prosecute civil code violations such as noise abatement, rigorously enforce padlock and forfeiture cases to maintain community standards and address crime problems.