Cheyenne Police Department and NAACP meet with the Cheyenne community discussing police policies and procedures

In response to the death of George Floyd, the Cheyenne Police Department (CPD) along with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), held a meeting at the CPD open to the public to talk about their police policies and procedures.

"Part of the solution is having those people coming out here and saying 'Hey, I don't understand this. Explain that to me, explain this to me,’” Cheyenne resident, Marcus Felker said.

People were able to express their concerns and ask questions pertaining not only to the death of George Floyd, but the relationships between police department and colored people in America.

“To hear the public just makes me feel good to let me know that the public does care. It’s just not a certain group, it’s everybody,” President of the NAACP, Stephen Latham said.

The CPD talked about procedures officers use when using force to arrest a civilian. They demonstrated techniques they are permitted to use during an arrest, such as the wrap technique. CPD also said they have different techniques than the Minneapolis Police Department and that putting their leg on the suspects neck, is not a part of the CPD methods.

CPD also answered questions on how they go about the hiring process. They mentioned that they would need records on an applicant who applies, showing their certifications, experience and qualifications. The CPD also does background checks on each applicant to see if their character is appropriate, as well as look at reviews.

“It’s a great thing when you can have the police department and the community working together and you can avoid a lot of the problems that are happening up in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” Dr. Hilton J. McClendon, Sr. said.

They also wanted to stress the importance of having the trust of civilians within the Cheyenne community.

"It's so important to get the community in to vent a little to us to explain what our procedures here in Cheyenne and how we handle things which is much different than what they saw in the video, and they should be comfortable with our police department," CPD Chief of Police, Brian Kozak said.

The NAACP will be sponsoring a forum for the public where they will have another chance to communicate with CPD. The date has not been set yet. There's also expected to be at least two peaceful protest at the state Capitol on Saturday, June 6. One is expected to start at 2:00pm, the other at 4:00pm.