Letter to the Editor
Police Chief Scott Cunningham responded to the concerns of the Islamic community at a forum held on Oct. 24 at the Community Mosque.
This second forum was the follow up to a forum entilted “One Humanity. One Community. Our Children.” Chief Cunningham responded to all questions addressed to him after updating the community of his investigation of the incident involving a female Muslim R.J. Reynolds High School student who was attacked. His investigation to date concluded that there was not enough evidence to conclude that it was a hate crime. Several attendees, including Darryl Hunt, asked a number of questions, from perceptions of excess force being used by the police department to profiling of African-Americans and the use of stun guns to detain citizens being arrested.
Chief Cunningham explained police policy very carefully in each of these areas and assured the community that he was concerned about the safety of the total community. He agreed to continue communicating with the community on cultural awareness issues related to the Islamic community.
Imam Khalid Griggs extends his appreciation to the Police Department for their participation in this event.
