Black men’s group demanding answers from Rock Hill police

A forum is set for Tuesday night for the public to hear from a group of black men who have made demands of the Rock Hill Police Department about accountability and the way black residents are treated.

The group, called Concerned Black Men of the city of Rock Hill, marched to the police department July 16 and submitted a list of demands. The letter contained 10 demands the group says the department needs to respond to within 30 days. The 30 days are now up.

The group’s leaders since have met with Mayor Doug Echols, and met Monday afternoon with Chris Watts, the police chief.

The forum, free and open to the public, is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 147 Oakland Ave. The building at the corner of Oakland Avenue and Wilson Street is the former Pix Theater that is now used by a church.

Leaders from the group will discuss what they are doing and why, said group organizer Cedric Caldwell. Police representatives have been invited to attend and speak.

The group, which invites people of all races, has become active in voicing concerns over the treatment of blacks by police, while trying avoid conflicts in Rock Hill that have happened in other cities across America. The group invites both supporters and critics to have an open discussion that leads to a better community, leaders wrote in a Facebook post.

Among the demands, the group wants all city and department data concerning use of force by the police department for the past five years and a monthly public forum with police. The group also wants law enforcement to cease all patrols using vehicles without visible police markings, radar equipment and/or video equipment, saying that such undercover operations have unfairly targeted black people in neighborhoods that are majority black.

This story was originally published August 16, 2016 at 9:55 AM with the headline "Black men’s group demanding answers from Rock Hill police."