UN I V E R S I T Y D A I L Y K A N S A N
Thursday, December 9, 1993
7B
Continued from Page 6B.
awareness." Thomas says.
More than a year after the book was written, and almost two years after the Sevier shooting, Thomas says it easily could happen again.
"A test of the question might consist of constructing a similar situation wherein the person calling 911 to get help for her son is not an Indian woman but a white woman," he says. "It would, no doubt, be difficult to find anyone willing to volunteer for such an experiment."
The solution, Thomas says in his book, is for Lawrence to admit its racism the way an alcoholic admits his or her alcoholism.
Chris Mulvenon, then a representative for the police department, wrote in Kansas Fraternal Order of Police magazine that the only serial aspect of the deaths was "cereal malt beverage."
Mulvenon, the police department and the city commission promptly apologized for the remark. Mulvenon, a civilian employee, was transferred to another section of the department
Some American Indians point to an incident that occurred in 1991, a few months after Wall Street Journal writer Ann Hagedorn visited Lawrence to write a story about the deaths of Sandoval, Dawes and Bread. The article, which appeared in 1990, suggested that all might have died as the result of attacks by a serial killer.
Adrian Brown says much of the racism comes from the local media. He cites recent columns in both the Lawrence Journal-World and the University Daily Kansan that he says
belittled American Indians.
"A lot of what goes into print feeds off that Lawrence evil," Brown says. "Then it fuels that evil even further."
But Wildcat says that labeling Lawrence as racist is too easy. The problem arises when people assume Lawrence — a city with two universities and a highly-educated population — has no problems whatsoever, he says.
"People are so enamored with what Lawrence can offer in quality of life that they ignore the parts that can be ignored," Wildcat says.
Lawrence should change that attitude, he says, especially concerning the police and American Indians.
He also says that the department now communicates better with the community. Efforts such as allowing members of the community to ride with officers on patrol, sponsoring a citizens academy to educate citizens on police policies and participating in
Almost two and a half years after the shooting, the city and the police department are trying to do just that.
"The Lawrence Police Department is not 5 feet 10, 165 pounds with blue eyes," he says, "it's just not true."
"They do not trust the police department to be fair in the treatment of members of the minority community," Wildcat says. "If that's the way the community feels, then the department should address that."
Ron Olin, chief of police, says that perceptions have been the root of the problem. He says the current personnel on the force reflect the racial demographics of the city.
Changing perceptions
Source: Kansan staff research
NALE — Native American Law Enforcement — have allowed the community to better understand the department, he says.
"It's a general feeling on everybody's part to cooperate and find answers and make this city a better place to live," he says.
NALE was created by Nalbandian this year to get the two sides talking. NALE is made up of Haskell students, American indian KU students, leaders of the city's American Indian community and members of the police department.
Jo Andersen, the city commission's representative to the group, said the goal was to create a dialogue that has been lacking.
"There's a lot of conflict that's been perpetuated by stereotypes," she said.
The group has met three times this
year. Andersen says the meetings are closed to the press because the atmosphere fosters open communication without guarded speech. While in the meetings, members are allowed to speak freely about their frustrations.
The officers involved are not public relations officers. Instead, the group asked that the police department send regular street officers to attend the meetings.
Brown says the group helps break down stereotypes on both sides and might bring Haskell closer to the community.
"We see an invisible barrier around Haskell," he says. "In order to relieve that, we need to break down that area."
Andersen says the group plans to work with the sheriff's department as well in the future.
Dan Schauer/KANSAN
In addition, a temporary committee created to look at racism in Lawrence after the Sevier shooting — the Task Force on Racism, Discrimination and Human Diversity — has become a permanent city institution called the Lawrence Alliance. Lisa Blair, coordinator of the group, says the group and NALE are the crucial first steps in fostering communication.
"For the first time, people are willing to address the issues that help and hurt the community as it moves into the year 2000," she said.
But Blair says the police department and Lawrence have a long way to go.
"Lawrence is racist or else there wouldn't be a Lawrence Alliance," she says. "That's a self-indictment on the part of Lawrence."
Blair says the police need additional
sensitivity training and should use professional counselors on domestic disputes such as the one at the Sevier household all those months ago. Olin disagrees, saying that the Lawrence police department already has the second-longest training session for police in the United States. He also says that professional counselors on routine calls would be more of a safety hazard to all involved rather than help out.
Pixie Larios, a member of NALE, says the police department and the American Indian community have begun a positive process she hopes they finish.
"It's a time when we're all waiting for changes to happen," she says. "It's a foundation-building time. It can be used as a foundation for change, or it can be used to make Jell-O."
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