York Mayor Michael Helfrich should have chosen a minority police chief (column)

Lawrence Goldman

Preface: "Police Commissioner" would be the title bestowed upon someone hired from outside the department and that of "Chief of Police" would be the title of one hired from inside the department.

Chief Troy Bankert talks about what is next for York, after he was sworn in during a ceremony at City Hall in York on Monday. He said he wants to focus on problems of violence and heroin. York Mayor Michael Helfrich is at right.

I read recently in the York Daily Record that Mayor Helfrich has withdrawn his search for a new chief of police to replace retired former chief Wes Kahley. Mayor Helfrich has recommended to the York City Council that the interim police chief, Troy Bankert, become the permanent one. To say that I am disappointed with the choice is an understatement, and I don't even know Chief Bankert, but I don't need to.

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In my opinion, Mayor Helfrich has squandered an opportunity to do something great for the city of York by hiring a member of a minority to be the commissioner of the YCPD. The continuation of the "old guard" does not bode well for the city of York.

In 2016, I recommended to then Mayor Bracey and then Councilman Helfrich in the strongest possible terms that when the time came to find a new chief of police, they go outside the York City Police Department and find a qualified candidate of color to be the commissioner (and face of the franchise), because I believed that was the one way to help build community trust, and that to promote someone white from within the department would not help reach such a goal. Time will tell, but I believe Mayor Helfrich just voted for the status quo to remain under Bankert's tenure.

In order for a police department to be effective, there must be community trust. If you believe all is well between the community of York city and their police department then you're not paying attention. Black people don't trust the police! Can you blame them? I don't. It's completely rational that people of color feel targeted and discriminated against by the police force, any police force, York city included.

Mayor Helfrich wants the community of York city to "give us information so we can reduce this chaos." Mr. Mayor, how can you depend on the community to take a risk with their lives in order to "snitch" if there is no trust between the community and the police department? You can't and as long as there is a police chief who lacks dark pigment in their skin, you will continue to lack the trust necessary to build a strong relationship with law enforcement.

Ideally, the mayor should have searched for a black female to be the leader of the city's police department. A kinder, gentler department would have been perceived by all, and since perception is reality, you would have been well on the way to building community trust with law enforcement with that one hire. Mayor Helfrich should have scoured the rolls of Chicago, Cleveland and New York City to find the right candidate. No one can tell me with a straight face that the mayor found the best candidate for the new chief of police/commissioner right here inside the York City Police Department.

When I first met Michael Helfrich, I believed he really cared about minorities and wanted to stop the violence and build trust between the YCPD and the community they serve, but the hiring of a permanent police chief (who lacks color), by means of promotion from inside the department contradicts my original perception of him.

Lawrence Goldman

York