By Aaron Martinez and Elida S. Perez
El Paso Times
EL PASO, Texas — El Paso Police Chief Greg Allen said his comments calling the Black Lives Matter “a radical hate group” and blaming them for the deaths of five officers killed in Dallas last week came during an “emotional time,” but he remained critical of the political movement.
Allen defended his comments in a statement Monday, saying that the focus should be on mourning the loss of the officers and increasing discussion on the issue involving law enforcement and community members.
“The remarks I shared after Friday’s press conference were made during an emotional time, I hope everyone can respect that,” the statement reads. “I am a police officer first and foremost and it truly pains me any time an officer is killed.”
El Paso Police Department officials said Allen would not be granting any interviews and that his statement stands alone.
Allen made the controversial remarks after a news conference was held Friday by state and county leaders to discuss the ambush attack that resulted in the deaths of five Dallas law enforcement officers the previous night.
“Black Lives Matter, as far as I am concerned, is a radical hate group,” Allen said Friday when asked about planned a Sunday vigil by El Paso Black Lives Matter members to protest the recent shooting deaths of black men by police in Louisiana and Minnesota. “And for that purpose alone, I think the leadership of this country needs to look a little bit harder at that particular group. The consequences of what we saw in Dallas is due to their efforts.”
In his Monday statement, Allen stood by his comments about the role the Black Lives Matter movement has played in creating a negative portrayal of police officers.
“Having to endure that and hearing and seeing the negative actions that are taking place at some ‘Black Lives Matter’ events truly disturb me,” Allen said. “For example, in New York City, the protestors were chanting, ‘What do you want?’ and the response was ‘dead cops.’ At another protest in Minnesota, the protestors were chanting “pigs in a blanket fry them like bacon.’ In Harlem and in Dallas ‘Black Lives Matter’ supporters were cheering after police officers were killed”
Allen ended his statement by calling for more discussion on the issue.
“Now is the time to mourn the loss of the police officers and the individuals that have fallen as part of the tragic shootings across America,” he said. “There needs to be discussion and scrutiny of the real issues to better address this situation.”
Allen’s comments have sparked heated discussion across the spectrum, some defending his right to state his opinion, others agreeing with it, and some denouncing his remarks as divisive.
Officials from the El Paso and Southern New Mexico Interfaith Alliance, an organization consisting of clergy and members of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and other faith-based communities, asked City Council to publicly reprimand Allen for his comments.
“This statement, in the chief’s official capacity and in uniform, sends exactly the wrong message at a time when good people are working to address a crisis of violence and distrust that disproportionately affects minority communities,” alliance officials said. “It is ironically out of step with the ongoing reforms the Dallas Police Department itself has been a national leader in — efforts its chief of police has publicly said he remains committed to in spite of the cowardly violence perpetrated in Dallas. Furthermore, what Chief Allen’s statement conveys about his attitude towards members of a community that he is sworn to protect raises serious questions about his leadership. It is also a betrayal of the values generations of El Pasoans have stood for.”
They added, “We ask that you — the Mayor and City Council — publicly reprimand the Chief and take all other actions you feel necessary to ensure that he makes no other similar remarks while serving as El Paso’s Police Chief. He, and the men and women who serve under him, must know that such remarks are contrary to the peace and well-being of our city and goodwill between citizens and neighbors.”
The El Paso Police Department Supervisors Association stood behind Allen and stated that his comments were not politically motivated.
“Chief Allen is clearly a police professional who cares greatly about police officers not only here in El Paso but throughout the United States and having known him for many years, I noted he was greatly bothered by the deaths in Dallas,” the association said in a statement. “His comments however, were not those of a man who professed hatred, they were the comments made by a police professional who has made a professional assessment of a particular group and determined that they are a radical hate group which professes violence towards police.”
As a sign of support for Allen, the association is donating “$20,000 to the Police Department to be used by Chief Allen, as he determines, to keep our officers safe,” officials said.
Black El Paso Democrats Chair Dorothy “Sissy” Byrd said in a statement released Monday said that Allen’s comments created a “tremendous rift” between law enforcement and the El Paso community.
“El Paso has long been a community of inclusiveness,” Byrd said. “However, the recent shootings of civilians and law enforcement officers in Dallas, TX, coupled with the divisive comments made by our Chief of Police, Greg Allen has caused a tremendous rift within our, otherwise, peaceful community.”
“Single handedly, Chief Allen has managed to divide a community while reinforcing the ‘us vs. them’ police stereotype!” she added.
On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, County Judge Veronica Escobar and other El Paso area leaders sent a letter to El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser and the El Paso City Council to repudiate Allen.
The letter stated “The Black Lives Matter movement is about the same values of dignity, equality, and peaceful protest; it was not responsible for the tragedy in Dallas. Chief Allen’s statement places El Paso’s seal of approval on a sentiment that stands in stark contrast to those values and one that promotes hate itself. That is why we urge you to publicly repudiate the statement, forcefully and unequivocally, and hold Chief Allen accountable for damaging the public trust and bringing disrepute to our community.”
Allen’s statement was released after Leeser said he believed the chief should have better explained his comments, but added that he was disappointed several area leaders asked him and City Council to repudiate the chief’s remarks.
“I’m very disappointed that they would have sent this letter without reaching out to the chief and talking to the chief,” Leeser said. “It’s really important to get his view point…I was very disappointed with the letter… They should have reached out to him before they sent the letter and that should have been the first step.”
El Paso Independent School District Trustee Susie Byrd, who was one of the El Paso leaders who signed the letter, said she did try to reach out to the police chief before the letter was issued. Byrd served on the City Council when Allen was promoted to the chief of police position in April 2008.
“I did reach out and I didn’t hear back,” Byrd said. “Normally I wouldn’t do that, I’d go through the governing body because he is accountable to them, but because I had a good working relationship with him for a long time and trusted his leadership in the past I reached out to him directly.”
Byrd said she sent Allen a text message Friday evening and chose to sign the letter after she did not get a response from the police chief and no public statements were issued by city officials.
“I think there would not have been a need for that if someone from the city had quickly intervened,” Byrd said. “I expected the mayor or city manager to intervene or work with Chief Allen to communicate a better message to our community.
City Manager Tommy Gonzalez said that he believed Allen’s comments came in the heat of the moment.
“I believe that he (Allen) was on the heels of .. or very emotional at that time,” Gonzalez said. “I think the police; law enforcement across the country right now have been struck with a huge blow, their family has been impacted...just like the families of the people who lost that their lives that have been pulled over and who have lost their lives in that fashion. That’s what the focus should be — we should be focusing on tolerance not rushing to judgement and listening to all points of view.”
He added, “I think the chief of police was in an emotional state with respect to his job and the fact that he protects those who serve this community.”
City Rep. Claudia Ordaz denounced Allen’s comments, but praised the chief’s long history of public service.
“I am deeply disappointed and strongly disagree with the comments made by our police chief. The Black Lives Matter movement is not a hate group. On the contrary, their efforts are part of an ongoing struggle to raise the American consciousness regarding police violence and the systemic injustices that have disproportionately harmed the black community,” Ordaz said. “While the Chief’s comments are inexcusable, we should be mindful that they came hours after five police officers were deliberately targeted for who they were – members of law enforcement.”
Ordaz added it is not fair to judge the chief’s leadership immediately following the Dallas tragedy after his more than three decades of “loyal and effective” public service.
Copyright 2016 the El Paso Times