Pike County NAACP will review TPD practices, procedures

Published 5:58 pm Friday, December 29, 2017

The Pike County branch of the NAACP announced Friday that they would be conducting a review of the Troy Police Departments procedures and practices over the course of the last year.

“Pike County branch NAACP will conduct an immediate and comprehensive review of the City of Troy police practices and conduct,” said Dianna Bascomb, NAACP president. “This review will start immediately.”

Bascomb said the review was spurred by the use of physical force by the Troy Police Department against 17-year-old Ulysses Wilkerson III while apprehending the juvenile Saturday, Dec. 23 on misdemeanor charges of obstructing governmental operations and resisting arrest.

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“The purpose of the review is to ensure the conduct that injured Mr. Ulysses Wilkerson (III) is not  repeated and corrective measures are implemented t0 ensure all citizens are treated fairly and equally,” Bascomb said. “We will not tolerate unprofessional behavior and demand a criminal justice system that is transparent and forthcoming to the community.

“We will examine data that is inclusive of all concerns, complaints and prosecutions that were made against the department in the last calendar year. We expect full cooperation from the Troy Police Department and from the District Attorney’s office.”

Bascomb asked for residents to remain peaceful as the NAACP conducts their review.

“We reiterate a call for calm as we work through this process to ensure an accountable system is in place to administer criminal justice within our community,” Bascomb said. “The NAACP is committed to equality and accepts nothing less. Again, we call upon the City of Troy and its elected officials to fully cooperate with this process.”

Bascomb noted that she reached out to Troy Police Chief Randall Barr and Mayor Jason Reeves inviting them to the press conference, but they were not in attendance.

Bascomb declined to take questions after reading the organization’s official statement.