By now I’m sure many of you have read or at least heard about the infamous Orlando barbershop raids.
If not then you’ve either lived under a rock for the past few months or you’re just an introvert.
Last year the Orange County Sheriff’s Office conducted a set of raid style sweeps in several Orlando area barbershops with narcotic officers who came in without warrants. They handcuffed many, searched their fair share of drawers, cars, and backrooms searching for the magic bullet: Drugs.
As a result of the raid the OCSO said they found evidence of illegal activity, like drugs and gambling–in two instances misdemeanor amounts of marijuana and an additional arrest of an individual was made for cocaine. All others arrested were charged only for barbering without a license.
Sheriff Jerry Demings ordered an internal review and stated that the raids were “not perfect” and if OCSO had to change anything, more notices to persons to appear would have been issued, as opposed to custodial arrests.
As a result of the “imperfect” raids the Department of Business and Professional Regulation halted all activities with local law enforcement and fired some of its inspectors.
Last week the Sheriff’s office released a final report on the raids clearing all deputies involved of any policy violations.
Case closed.
Sheriff Demings and his office have moved on but those affected by the raids have not–like the kids sitting in the barbershops when agents bum rushed the spot unlawfully and the owners of the barbershops who have seen a decrease in their business due to the actions of those deputies and narcotic agents.
The Pine Hills community is the dark skinned adopted child of the City of Orlando. Need charitable work? Head to Pine Hills. Need an example of crime? Just walk through Pine Hills. Better yet, if you need your “ghetto” card stamped again just head to the Magic Mall in Pine Hills, they have a booth in the back just for that purpose.
Pine Hills has been referred to as Crime Hills and the one community where you don’t want to be at night.
So if an example needs to be made out of anybody or any community then head to Pine Hills.
According to a story last year by WFTV the crime rate in Pine Hills has dropped by almost 35% and it may be due to an increased police presence and an aggressive approach to crime.
But with a drop in crime there has been no increase in the sense of security.
For African-Americans the barbershop is an institution, the cornerstone of the neighborhood. The barbershop is a place to vent, to talk politics, community news, receive advice, find a mechanic, watch the game, or just to go and chill.
Oh—and you can get a haircut while you are there.
With Demings basic acknowledgement that the raids were improper and the state calling them unlawful, his refusal to apologize is an act of narcissism. Pine Hills has enough issues with public relations as is and Sheriff Demings giving the go ahead for his deputies to strong arm minorities in their private establishments shows that he may lack empathy.
Now don’t get me twisted in thinking that I am labeling this as just another attack by the police on the brother man. Being in law enforcement is one of the toughest jobs in America and I applaud those who risk their lives to serve and to protect and do it with dignity and grace.
But the sheer level of insensitivity involved with these raids shows that there is still a level of disrespect for the black community.
There have been several examples of this in the news recently, just Google the names of Sean Bell and Oscar Grant. Both men were unarmed and from all accounts posed no immediate threat to the officers involved. But both were gunned down by police officers and Bell’s killing was straight out of a battle in Afghanistan.
Sheriff Demings must show more compassion for those that he’s charged with protecting. As a young black man in Orlando his actions during and after the raids lead me to believe that he has a tiered protection system with black folk being at the very bottom.
Show me that I’m wrong and that you do care and believe that the life of a black man has the exact same worth as the next person. Allow me to believe that these raids aren’t an attempt to strong arm our community and push us around.
If not then Sheriff Demings may need to learn sign language because, this brother is deaf to his own perception.
-JH
