Suburban leaders discuss role of police at MLK breakfast

Business and local government leaders from the suburbs discussed the relationship between law enforcement and civilians Thursday morning as part of a breakfast symposium honoring the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

The event was a joint production of the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations, a nonprofit organization that addresses conflicts across racial and cultural lines, and Motorola Solutions, which hosted the breakfast at its Schaumburg campus.

During a panel discussion, Oak Forest Police Chief Gregory J. Anderson said it is up to police officers to make members of the public feel they are being treated fairly during every encounter.

"Every interaction we have, they need to feel they received justice," Anderson said.

Cook County Board Commissioner Deborah Sims of Chicago said part of the problem is that there are fewer officers out in the community compared to when she was growing up.

"Kids in the community today don't know the police officer," Sims said. "We knew to go and talk to Officer Friendly and tell him what's going on."

Elgin City Manager Sean R. Stegall said there has been a fundamental shift in the relationship between police and the people they serve, and he is concerned how departments are going to be able to recruit high-quality candidates. The three high-ranking Elgin police officers who attended Thursday's breakfast could have been lawyers or Motorola executives had they chosen to, but they wanted to go into law enforcement, he said.

"No amount of technology is going to replace having great people," Stegall said.

During his brief remarks, commission chairman the Rev. Clyde Brooks, who walked with King during the civil-rights movement, urged the 160 people at the breakfast to live King's message every day.

"We know serving and remembering Dr. King is more than coming to a dinner or breakfast," Brooks said. "It must become part of our daily life."

Toni L. Carter, an inclusion and diversity subject matter expert at Motorola Solutions, said Motorola offered to pay for and host Thursday's event after learning that the commission would not hold its annual King dinner this year.

Proceeds from the $50-per-plate event will go to the commission's scholarship fund, which helps underrepresented students in STEM and public safety education.

Brooks said the commission plans to hold a dinner again next year.