Boston Police met Saturday with members of the community after an American Civil Liberties Union report that shows disproportionate confrontations with black people.
The goal of the meeting at the Dudley Branch of the Boston Public Library in Roxbury was to improve the relationship between police and communities of color. It was organized by the Blackstonian.
According to the ACLU report, black people made up 63 percent of police-to-civilian encounters between 2007 and 2010 in the city, despite blacks only making up 24 percent of the population.
Police said they started an independent study four years ago and included the ACLU information, but said their final report was not complete when the ACLU released its findings.
Area residents and clergy members were at the meeting. The event's organizer, Jamarhl Crawford, says they are trying to find the cause of what he calls a disconnect with police.
"This is not a group therapy session. This is not just a gripe session," "What we're doing is now, we're developing action items."
Regarding the report, police say preliminary findings show that the department is targeting gang members in high crime areas, but that the study does show some racial disparities that need to be addressed.
