Скачать или смотреть Black leaders call on FOP President Dan Hils to resign

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A group of Cincinnati black leaders is calling for the resignation of Dan Hils, the president of Cincinnati’s Fraternal Order of Police. The Sentinel Police Association, the local NAACP chapter and the Cincinnati Black United Front say Hils needs to be disciplined after he said he no longer wants to work alongside activist Iris Roley.

Roley and Hils are both members of the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement and the city manager's advisory group. The calls for Hils’ resignation comes just days after Hils told Local12 he doesn't believe Roley should be a member of those groups.

“It pains me to stand here today and say I’m in fear because I’ve not been in fear until this day,” said Roley at a press conference Friday evening, flanked by leaders of Cincinnati’s black community.

Roley's fear comes after FOP President Dan Hils penned a letter to the city manager, asking him to reconsider Roley's role on the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement and the city manager's advisory group

“If it's about the work, I can understand because we can get at the table and negotiate terms and agreements but for Dan Hils to say it out of his own mouth that this is personal?” said Roley.

Hils told local 12 earlier this week that he's making the personal decision to no longer work alongside Roley. Hils says Roley crossed the line when she picketed outside of Judge Patrick Dinklelacker's home in the wake of former judge Tracie Hunter's jail sentence

“She does have a First Amendment right. So do I,” said Hils. “I have a First Amendment right to say I'm not going to sit with anybody who goes about their protest in that way.”

Roley, a program manager for the Cincinnati Black United Front, has played an integral role in reforming the Cincinnati Police Department after the civil unrest in 2001.

At Friday's press conference, the lawyer for the Cincinnati Black United Front said Hils' letter amounts to harassment.

"For him to come in and ride her out of her appointed position on the manager's advisory committee is over the top and needs to be reined in and he needs to be disciplined,” said Alphonse Gerhardstein.

It’s still unclear what will come of Hils' letter to the city manager but council member Chris Seelbach says Hils' behavior is alarming.

"As a public figure he seems to do more harm than good at a time that our country is more divided than ever. We need to bring people together and Dan Hils has a pretty good knack at putting people apart,” said Seelbach.

Late Friday night, Dan Hils responded saying he will not step down. He issued the following statement to Local12:

“I will not resign, despite this request. I stand by my belief that she is the problem, not myself. Unlike Ms. Roley, I will not be protesting outside of any private residence; while I recognize their First Amendment to free speech, I believe her manner of protesting was blatantly wrong. Additionally, her activities are detrimental to the collaboration of the community and their police officers.”

Council member Tamaya Dennard also released the following statement:

“Ms. Roley is the heart and soul of the Collaborative Agreement. She has worked as hard as anyone to ensure community has a seat at the table in directing policies and procedures for our police department. Ironically, it’s the FOP President who chooses to use his position as a way to garner attention.

Ms. Roley is trusted because she supports Cincinnati in a myriad of ways that transcends police/community relations. She works in partnernship with many city officials, including many Cincinnati police officers. She has served as an officer of the Cincinnati Black United Front for nearly 20 years.

I’m absolutely honored to stand with Iris Roley because she stands with our community. Dan Hils is trying to turn back the clock on community and police relations. He has proven, time and time again, that he lacks respect for all of Cincinnati

I am grateful for the work that Ms. Roley has done not just in Cincinnati, but all over the country.”