Elgin church to host panel on police, community relations

A black, male driver, three squad cars and a questionable attitude by police.

That's how the Rev. Nathaniel Edmond describes the circumstances when he was stopped for speeding by East Dundee police, which he plans to share during a panel discussion at noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at Second Baptist Church, 1280 Summit St., Elgin. The discussion will focus on the relationship between police and the community, with the goal of improving that.

Edmond said he has great respect for police and praised the Elgin Police Department for its efforts to build positive relationships with the black community. Elgin Police Chief Jeff Swoboda and Elgin Mayor David Kaptain will also be on the panel at Second Baptist Church of Elgin, which Edmond leads.

But the way things played out several weeks ago in East Dundee is an example of how black men are treated differently during traffic stops, Edmond said.

"They see me and they see my color first," he said. "I'm not sure that will ever change, but we can work on it."

The 64-year-old pastor said he was pulled over just before 1 p.m. Jan. 24 along Route 25 during his routine commute between his church and his Lake in the Hills home. He was wearing a knit cap and casual clothes while driving his Mercedes, he said.

A female police officer pulled him over and, shortly after, two more squad cars pulled up behind her car, he said.

"Here I am, pulled to the side with three police cars, lights flashing," he said. "That's a little intimidating and a little embarrassing."

After he gave the officer his driver's license and registration, the officer asked him, "Am I going to find something on this license when I go back and run it?" Edmond said. A white driver wouldn't have been asked that, he said.

"That's the question that really troubled me," he said, adding that was his first traffic stop in about 20 years. "When they stop someone they are supposed to treat everyone the same. You can't allow your personal biases to come into play."

"I'm not saying that African-Americans haven't done some things that are wrong. I'm not saying (police) shouldn't be cautious when stopping people," Edmond said.

"But you can't bring that bias to the job, because that bias can quickly escalate."

East Dundee Police Chief Terry Mee said there was nothing improper about the stop.

"It was a routine traffic stop that was not based on race, gender, ethnic origin or anything else," he said. "It was based on a speeding violation with a radar display of 60 mph in a 45 mph zone and resulted in an Illinois vehicle code citation."

The officer, who's been with East Dundee just over a year, couldn't tell Edmond's gender or race before she stopped him and didn't call for backup, Mee said. Officers can decide to assist each other when they hear about a stop on the radio scanner, he said.

Also, the officer said she asks drivers routinely if they have been pulled over recently or if they know of any issues with their driver's licenses, Mee said.

"There was nothing unusual," he said.

Saturday's event is open to everyone, but will be especially useful to young black men and women, Edmond said. The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives will re-enact a traffic stop so people know what to expect and how to behave, he said.