Following the Bloomington Board of Public Safety meeting Tuesday night, members of the community were invited to an open house-style event in City Hall’s atrium to ask questions about the city’s purchase of an armored vehicle.
Black Lives Matter’s Bloomington group, which has spoken in opposition to the truck since the announcement of its purchase, called the meeting a publicity stunt.
“The process is a charade,” Bloomington BLM organizer Vauhxx Booker said. “This isn’t how the democratic process works.”
He said the meeting was not productive, partially because the Board of Public Safety does not have the power to halt the truck’s purchase.
The board claimed Tuesday it had no role in the decision to purchase the truck. This is supported by documents the city released Friday.
The open house was slated to last until 8:30 p.m., but at about 7:15 p.m., Booker called for all members of Black Lives Matter to walk out of City Hall. They gathered on the patio in front of the building.
Mayor John Hamilton said he was not encouraged by so many members of the public leaving what he called a chance to ask questions.
Booths lining the walls of City Hall’s atrium were manned by city staff and members of the Critical Incident Response Team.
Hamilton, BPD Chief Mike Diekhoff and Capt. Steve Kellams were all in attendance.
Andrew Rushing, a member of CIRT, manned a station educating community members about the kind of firearms police seize from people in Monroe County.
He said two individuals who do not support the truck’s purchase talked to him.
“I was disappointed I wasn't able to have more meaningful conversations with people who are opposed,” he said.
Tom Miller, Bloomington’s innovation director, sat at a booth with data sets on the Bloomington's CIRT. He also said two people asked him questions.
Miller said the city is trying hard to give the community access to the information.
During the Board of Public Safety meeting, Diekhoff pointed to policy changes the city is trying to make regarding the truck.
He said the CIRT team policies will be updated.
He also said said IU is the only Big Ten university that does not have access to an armored vehicle in its county.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Booker said he hasn’t seen any people of color or members of the LGBT community support the vehicle’s purchase.
“We see that there’s a disproportional use of force against people who are brown skinned already,” he said.
Bloomington’s Black Lives Matter group released a list of five demands regarding the vehicle Monday. Hamilton said he viewed the demands as comments and suggestions.
The demands include a call for the city to halt the purchase of any militarized vehicle and provide two alternative options to it.
When asked what would happen if the demands are not met, Booker said “That’s a surprise.”
