Vanguard for Justice, the organization that represents the city?s minority police officers, recently elected a new president ? and he says it means a new direction for the organization.
Sgt. Lenny Willis, a 20-year veteran of the force and a member of the city?s homicide unit, was elected June 15 to replace Sgt. Darrel Massy.
Willis said the move will give the organization a “new pair of eyes.”
“We definitely want to restore the respect that the organization once had, building on the progress made by Sgt. Massy,” Willis said.
Vanguard for Justice, founded in 1971, originally represented only black officers. At the time of its founding, those officers faced “widespread discrimination,” according to the organization?s official history. But a lawsuit filed by Vanguard against the department in the 1970s resulted in a settlement with the city and the promotion of dozens of black officers to higher-ranking positions.
Now the organization represents 760 minority officers, including women and Hispanics, out of the roughly 1,600 minority officers on the force.
Willis said one of his primary goals after he is sworn in July 15 is to address the fallout from the recent controversy over the city?s arrest policy.
“We all know the accusations that the police department is geared towards arrests. We?re going to try to develop other tactics for fighting crime,” he said.
Willis said those tactics will be developed after the swearing-in, but the goal, he said, is “bridging the gap between the community and police department.”
Willis said one asset he brings to the organization is his relationship with Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm, a former Vanguard president.
“He was one of my mentors,” Willis said.
Matt Jablow, spokesman for Hamm, said the commissioner supports Willis? election.
“The commissioner definitely has a lot of respect for Lenny Willis,” Jablow said.
Willis said he plans to work on the organization?s original goal: to make sure minorities are well-represented in the department. “There needs to be improvement throughout the agency,” he said, “and we?re going to be vocal about it.”
