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The community advocacy group FREE Guilford (Freedom Resistance Empowerment Education) held a press conference on police accountability and public safety on October 6, one day before Greensboro’s primary municipal election. The event centered on recent complaints of excessive use of force by the Greensboro Police Department and broader issues of racial bias in policing.
FREE Guilford and its coalition of partners continue to call for three major reforms: an end to regulatory stops —or pretextual traffic stops that criminalize minor infractions; an end to safety frisks, which they say often amount to racially biased stop-and-frisk practices; and a written consent policy requiring officers to obtain documented permission before conducting searches.
As the city enters a new election cycle, the group urged residents to hold local leaders accountable and to vote for candidates committed to justice, fairness, and transparent police oversight. Partner organizations present at the press conference included the League of Women Voters Piedmont Triad, Second Chance Alliance, and Advance NC.
FREE Guilford community organizer CJ Brinson addressed recent community concerns surrounding a video showing three young men, Damonta Glover, A’mon Moore, and Savon Johnson, being pulled over by Greensboro police on May 14. The footage, recorded on a cell phone, shows officers drawing their guns during the traffic stop.
“We want to be clear that we as the community are in opposition to the narrative that the police and city have put out surrounding that video,” said Brinson. “We need the media and the public to continue to put pressure on the police and the city about what actually transpired.”
Brinson questioned the justification for such stops. “Was there a call about a shooting? Were there gunshots in the area? Or were they just pulled over for a broken taillight?” he asked. “A regulatory stop should not end with a gun being drawn in someone’s face. We do not believe this is how our community should be policed.”
He added that the group has repeatedly presented city officials with data, documentation, and proposals for reform, but has seen little action.
“We are deeply disappointed that our council members are unwilling to move and act to protect Black and Brown communities from police violence and corruption,” said Brinson.
Portia Shipman, founder of the Sherese Denise Jackson Foundation, echoed those concerns. “I come before you today because the truth still matters,” she said. “Justice delayed is justice denied. The recent release of the footage didn’t just show what happened that day, it revealed a long-standing pattern of harm, mistrust, and racial violence.”
Shipman continued, “For years, Black residents have been over-policed and over-searched. This isn’t an isolated incident; it’s a systemic problem rooted in police culture and lack of oversight. Our demands aren’t radical, they’re about fairness, transparency and human dignity.”
She urged voters to support candidates who prioritize accountability and integrity. “As election season approaches, let your voices and votes be heard. Vote for leaders who believe in justice, fairness, and transparency,” she said. “This fight is about dignity, safety, and the right to be seen not as suspects, but as human beings.”
Community member Jason Hicks emphasized that the issue extends beyond individual officers.
“What we’re looking at here is not about law enforcement, but about social control,” he said. “Black people make up about 43 percent of Greensboro’s population but account for 66 percent of regulatory stops this year. Since 2016, Black men alone have been stopped more than White men and women combined.”
“The question before us is simple,” Hicks added. “Do we have the courage to face what these numbers tell us? We have the data. We have the numbers. What we lack is the will. To my White neighbors: stop waiting for Black people to save themselves from a system we all maintain through silence and comfort. The city that terrorizes 44 percent of its people is not safe for anyone.”
Cecile Crawford, a District 2 City Council candidate, shared her own experience with being pulled over due to car maintenance issues, noting how minor violations can lead to disproportionate hardship for low-income residents.
“I was pulled over not because I was a danger to anyone, but because I was poor, driving an old van and doing the best I could,” Crawford said. “A broken taillight or expired tag shouldn’t spiral into financial ruin. These regulatory stops don’t prevent harm; they punish hardship.”
Crawford cited data showing that Black drivers are significantly more likely to be stopped and searched than White drivers, even though they are less likely to be found with contraband. She pointed to areas like Mecklenburg County, Fayetteville, Durham, and Asheville that have limited regulatory stops or require written consent for searches, without compromising public safety.
“Public safety should mean protection, not profiling,” Crawford said. “It should mean dignity, not disparity. We deserve a Greensboro where justice isn’t selective and doing your best doesn’t land you in court, or worse.”
Irving Allen, community organizer with FREE Guilford and an At-Large City Council candidate, reflected on more than a decade of advocacy for improved police oversight.
“For the last 15 years, I’ve taken calls from people who’ve experienced police violence or intimidation,” Allen said. “Even the complaint process itself used to be a joke. In 2013, we helped fix it so citizens could file complaints privately and ensure documentation was kept.”
Allen said that despite forming the Police Citizens Review Board (PCRB) and later the Guilford County Justice Advisory Committee (GCJAC), progress has stalled.
“We’ve had these same conversations for years,” he said. “It’s not the process that’s broken; it’s the people making the decisions. We could fix a lot of this tomorrow if there was the political will.”
