Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
More than 20 community members spoke during the Greensboro City Council meeting on May 4, continuing weeks of public opposition to the hiring of Greensboro’s new police chief.
Residents and community organizers have criticized both the selection of Kamran Afzal, the current police chief in Dayton, Ohio, and the search process led by City Manager Trey Davis since the hire was announced in March.
However, at the council’s April 7 meeting, Davis stated that he would not rescind Afzal’s job offer, a position later supported publicly by Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter. Afzal is expected to officially begin his role on May 13.
Community members have repeatedly raised concerns about what they describe as a lack of transparency throughout the hiring process, particularly the public not being allowed to review or meet final candidates before an offer was made.
Speakers also referenced racial disparity statistics tied to traffic stops in Dayton, along with incidents involving citizen deaths during Afzal’s leadership there.
During public comments, several residents urged council members to intervene and direct Davis to withdraw the offer. Greensboro resident Tanisha Thomas referenced North Carolina statutes regarding the council’s authority over the city manager, while other speakers criticized elected officials, who they said stood alongside community activists before taking office.
“I have yet to hear of a job where an employee can commit an egregious offense that poses a viable threat to public safety and the supervisor can say I can’t do anything about it, and the supervisor and the employee get to keep their jobs,” said Thomas. “I would have respected you more if you just stood 10 toes down and said that you support the city manager’s decision because it aligns with your personal philosophy and moral values. You have spat in the face of those of us who took a chance on you.”
Speakers specifically called out at-large councilmember Irving Allen, District 1 representative Crystal Black, District 2 representative Cecile Crawford and District 3 representative April Parker for what they described as a disconnect between their activist roots and their current response to community concerns.
Deena Hayes-Greene, chair of the Guilford County Schools Board of Education, said she believes the moment reflects a growing divide between elected leaders and the communities that helped elect them.
“I know you all have to feel this,” Hayes-Greene said. “The passion and the conviction of your history of activism and advocacy, and the incredible indifference to the very community that you said you were bringing with you.”
She also pointed to her experiences as both an elected official and a community activist for 25 years.
“I want you to know you do not have to compromise your principles of truth to serve the council and to serve the community,” she said.
Rev. Greg Drumwright, founder of Justice 4 The New Generation and the Democratic nominee for Guilford County commissioner at-large, also criticized city leaders for what he described as a continued lack of progress on police transparency and accountability reforms discussed over the past nine months.
“Policies have not changed and transparency has not been birthed,” Drumwright said. “We who have been policed the most, charged the most, criminalized and convicted the most are still here asking for the least.”
Drumwright argued that trust between city leaders and historically over-policed communities continues to erode and called on the city to rescind Afzal’s offer, delay his start date and move forward with long-discussed policy reforms.
“This is not about transactions, it’s about truth,” he said. “We need you to rescind the offer, pause the start date and give us the policy work we asked for, not broken promises parading as future policies.”
Other speakers, including community leader Gene Blackmon, reiterated demands for police reform measures such as ending regulatory traffic stops for minor equipment violations and implementing written consent policies for vehicle searches.
While council members did not immediately respond during public comments, council members addressed the comments and thanked the community for voicing their concerns.
Councilwoman Crawford noted she has been in conversations with both community members and city officials regarding possible policy changes regarding the police.
“I don’t want people going home and feeling like we didn’t hear them this time and the last time that you came,” Crawford said. “This work hasn’t stopped.”
At-large Councilmember Irving Allen also acknowledged the frustration expressed by residents, while emphasizing the importance of pushing for long-term policy changes through the council process. Allen, who previously participated in police accountability efforts before being elected, thanked residents for continuing to speak out and said community concerns were being taken seriously.
“I really do hear and feel the frustrations of the community feeling like they haven’t been heard. I’ve been there before,” Allen said. “Right now, it’s important that we are very intentional about not only how we start, but how we finish this so that we can get the things done that we want to get done and so that they can remain lasting.”
He said city leaders should stay accountable and continue to collaborate with the community to make lasting, effective policy changes.
“It’s going to take some discomfort. It’s going to take folks feeling uneasy about what’s going on,” he said. “It’s going to take some trust and some faith for us to all get to the finish line together.”
Community organizers opposing the police chief hire say they plan to continue protesting at future council meetings and are organizing a demonstration outside police headquarters on Afzal’s first day in the role.
