What Does Systemic Change Look Like: Stevante Clark and Chief Bob Harrison Talk Police Reform

California Groundbreakers

** This conversation was recorded on July 13 ** We're doing a specific group of podcasts in July -- conversations focused on what systemic change looks like, particularly here in California, in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Each conversation features two people: a young leader who has galvanized others by speaking out and leading demonstration and campaigns, and a "veteran" activist/ decision maker who has been working on race equity and justice issues for decades. This conversation is focused on police reform, so we put together two people who may often look at law enforcement from opposing sides: a former police chief, and an activist whose brother's death at the hands of police officers made national headlines and led to California's groundbreaking police-use-of-force law. This conversation could have gone in any direction -- listen to find out how the two men agree on some things, disagree on others, and decide where to take this conversation next. SPEAKERS * Stevante Clark, a human rights activist in Sacramento (in photo above) who just started the I AM SAC Foundation, in honor of his brother Stephon Alonzo Clark (www.iamsacfoundation.com) * Bob Harrison, police office for 30 years, former chief of police for the City of Vacaville, and current course manager for the California Peace Officer Standards and Training’s Command College, a graduate program for law enforcement managers. PODCAST PLAY-BY-PLAY * 0 to 4:25 min - What's the purpose for doing these podcasts * 4:25 min - Stevante Clark explains how "passion without direction is chaos" and how he's steering his passion into a new direction * 12:35 min - Bob Harrison explains what police departments are focusing on now, and how they're responding to the current spotlight on police reform * 18:30 min - Drilling down on what community policing, the need for more mental health assistance, and defunding the police means * 21: 15 min - How Clark and Harrison view protests, and policing them * 25:50 min - California's "Stephon Clark Law" on the use of force by police: how is that working out? * 31:30 min - What Clark thinks of Attorney General Javier Becerra's recommendations for police reform * 34:10 min - Harrison's thoughts on how to turn police from "warriors" into "guardians" * 42:55 min - How to get more people of color into the still majority-white police departments * 48:25 min - Clark asks Harrison how he would have handled the Stephon Clark shooting if it had happened in his police department * 49:45 min - How Clark and Harrison plan to keep this conversation going SONG CREDIT: "Be the Difference" by Izreal Graham, a.k.a. Sacramento PD Officer Filmore Graham (youtu.be/xaRXwnndydg) PHOTO CREDIT: Xavier Mascarenas / Sacramento Bee