For decades now, Pomona’s poor Black and Latino communities have alleged police abuse. They claim that the governing establishment has been deaf to their concerns. As a result, a great mistrust of the Pomona Police Department has been festering in the very communities that suffer the worse from violent crime.
Well, you don’t need extraordinary business skills to conclude that the result of the above circumstances will only lead to continued suppressed economic growth. The Pomona Habla/Speaks Coalition mini-documentary captures what the minority communities have been alleging. Check out the video for yourself.
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We must heed the advice of Land use economist Mike Reynolds of the Concord Group. Last year, he told a joint city council/ planning commission meeting that Pomona’s murder rate must make a big drop before the city can expect to sustain any real economic development. Pomona’s violent crime will not subside until the Pomona police department demonstrably builds trust with Pomona’s poor Black and Latino communities.
The solution is clear Pomona’s PD and our poor minority communities must begin the process of trust building. If this process does not begin soon, we will continue to see more individuals and whole neighborhoods, such as Lincoln Park, fall victim to violent crime.