Reflections/Jonathan Gramling
OIPM
Ever since I learned that Corey Ruiz was shot and killed by a Madison Police officer while trying to apprehend him on July 22nd, my mind has been preoccupied with all of the issues and feelings and angst that ripple out from those few moments when the actual act occurred.
My mind has been on overdrive, consciously and subconsciously, trying to absorb it all and trying to figure out how The Hues — with a staff of basically one — could be relevant as a small fish in a relatively large pond. And then again, The Hues has to be what it is, an African American, Latine, Asian American and Euro-American owned, written and read newspaper. And so it is from the community that we absorb and reflect on Corey Ruiz and the tragedy that has unfolded.
To understand Corey, I tried to get interviews with people who were close to him including his mom. But Ben Crump, the esteemed civil rights lawyer, — and most governmental sources —basically shut everything down in terms of gaining a greater understanding of the humanity of those involved. It has been reported that Corey had a rap sheet that included resisting arrest. Corey is no choir boy, but who is he?
I pray that Corey’s family is surrounded by loving and caring people beyond the legal system. I am not complaining about the lawyers who represent them. But the family needs nurturing beyond what any legal settlement can provide them. They are in my — and countless other’s — prayers as they navigate this most painful and what seems like an endless time in their lives.
In an interview that took place a couple of weeks ago, Madison Common Council President Sabrina Madison talked about members of her family experiencing homelessness and mental health issues, similar to what Corey experienced. It gave me insight into these issues that me or mine have not experienced. And it does reflect on the life that Corey Ruiz experienced here in Madison. That article is in The Hues
I also had an interview with James Morgan, the head community organizer for MOSES, who is on parole and works on these issues. James did a great job of laying out these issues that impacted the environment that Corey lived in. That is also in this issue of The hues.
And then there is the column by the Honorable Rev. Everett Mitchell that lays out all of the legal issues surrounding the death of Corey Ruiz. And then there are the releases from the NAACP Dane County and a coalition of Dane County Organizations that lays out the community outrage and what the community expects to happen.
And then there is the Madison Office of the Independent Police Monitor that is currently led by Aeiramique Glass, its interim director. It seems that the OIPM and the City of Madison have been at odds about resources and what “Independent” really means. A fight was headed to the Common Council on August 4th.
Council President Madison engineered a sort of cease fire where all of the pro and anti-OIPM forces were going to have amendments voted on. A big, messy fight would have ensued with no clear winners. In essence, everyone has backtracked on their amendments. By everyone backing away from a conflict that could have been very detrimental to the environment within which the city exists and the city’s reputation, everything has been reset so that the sides can reason together to what makes sense for the health and well-being of the City of Madison.
I hope that the City of Madison and the Office of the Independent Police Monitor realize that they are like two people who are tied together at the ankle. They might pretend that they are independent of each other, but they aren’t and if they try to walk their own course, but they will continuously be inhibited by the other. They can try to walk to their own destination alone, but they will be tripped up by the other trying to reach their own destination. Their destinies are firmly tied together, whether they like it or not. And this means “saving face” within the political realities that they face separately, but realities that most certainly overlap.
The most detrimental thing that could ever happen to the OIPM is that it appears as “window dressing” for the city. Oh it looks good and it checks all the right boxes to have an OIPM. It looks so progressive. But in the end, the OIPM appears to be a puppet mouthing the city’s line.
I have lived in Madison’s communities of color for over 45 years, particularly the Black community and served on the South Madison Neighborhood Center board, the Madison NAACP board and worked for the Urban League for 12 years among many other commitments and years of service. And one thing I can assure you is that they know a fake or pretense when they see one. That is what has kept the community alive from slavery to the present. And so if the OIPM is a puppet of city government, the Black community and others will know it. The OPIM has to have adequate resources and enough independence to be able to provide an INDEPENDENT analysis of what has happened in Corey Ruiz’s shooting.
And this is in the best interests of the City of Madison because if anything less happens, there could be a divide that is created and runs deep between the city and its communities of color. And this divide, beyond creating social friction and distrust, could limit the attainment of each citizen’s — no matter what their race — potential and limit the city as a whole from reaching its true — dare I say it — progressive potential.
And the OIPM also has to know that the City of Madison has legitimate interests and concerns that must be taken into consideration including the potential for lawsuits. While the board of the OIPM needs to be independent, it needs to keep the outside politics at bay while it provides a shield for the independent police monitor to do their work independently and needs to be fact driven. And that will keep any frivolous lawsuits and political static at bay. We need the OIPM to bring us truth about what has happened. Nothing less will be detrimental to all of us.
So I am encouraged that the different factions in city government have decided to reason together, will provide OIPM the resources it needs to independently investigate Corey Ruiz’s shooting and what is needed in the long run.
The quality of all of our lives depends on nothing less.