YOU & FIVE-O PODCAST

Episode 51: Going Beyond the Data with Guest Bob Scales

We’re back! With the latest in our new segment “Your Questions, Your Power” - where we help community members understand the importance of asking the right questions of their elected officials and local law enforcement, and how data can be beneficial for creating change. Today we are excited to be joined by Bob Scales - co-founder and CEO of Police Strategies LLC.

After getting reacquainted with each host, we hear from Bob about his background and experience, journey to where he is now, and an explanation of his company’s police force analysis system. Numbers don’t tell you everything you need to know about each police interaction or situation, so their system goes beyond the data to truly understand what’s going on, why there are disparities, and what that means for the police agency and community (and what can be done about it).

We discuss how police are their own worst enemy when it comes to data and transparency, how the media portrays the data about policing, Bob’s experience with police reform and the DOJ/politics involved, his opinion on consent decrees, and the research paper he recently released on use of force. As always with this segment, we also go into detail on what questions to ask to understand the data you’re receiving, the questions you’re allowed to ask your police agency to get more data, and how to best utilize that as a community member.

More about Bob Scales:
Bob Scales is a founding partner of Police Strategies LLC where he currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer. Previously, Scales served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in King County Washington, a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, the Assistant Director for Public Safety for the City of Seattle, the Director of the Government Affairs for the Seattle City Attorney, and the Compliance Coordinator for the Seattle Police Department. Scales represented Seattle during the USDOJ pattern or practice investigation of Seattle PD in 2011 and helped to negotiate the subsequent consent decree.  Scales was elected to two terms on the Bainbridge Island, WA City Council and served one year as Mayor.

Episode 50: Your Questions, Your Power with Guests Finesse Moreno-Rivera & Kelly Childress

Episode 50: Your Questions, Your Power with Guests Finesse Moreno-Rivera & Kelly Childress

Today we are launching our new segment: “Your Questions, Your Power” with Finesse and Kelly! This segment highlights the importance of data, especially as it relates to policing - we want to help the community understand what to look for, how to ask for data, and how to interpret it. You have the right to do so! After Finesse and Kelly introduce themselves again, they dive into discussing what they each want to accomplish with this new segment… primarily making data transparent and accessible, and how to practically apply that to your local organizations to help create change.

They also discuss the importance of Black people voting - the history of it and where we are today, especially regarding the changes happening in Mississippi that are causing voter suppression. Kelly brings up the need to look at the root cause of crime, otherwise policing isn’t as effective, and they all suggest solutions for how to fix that - for police, community members, and local organizations. They end by discussing policing, the number one resistance to police officers, and understanding how to safely get through interactions with law enforcement. Finesse shares her personal experiences with police, and they highlight the importance of learning how to safely get through police stops in drivers ed.

Episode 49: Law Enforcement Accountability, Starts with a Complaint with Guest Chief Henry King

Episode 49: Law Enforcement Accountability, Starts with a Complaint with Guest Chief Henry King
Welcome back to the You & Five-O podcast, where we have Chief Henry King of the Edenton Police Department joining us. We have had a long-time relationship with King, and recently worked with him to release our new short film #Huemans: A Guide to Get Home - a free resource available on youandfive-o.com and our YouTube page to provide Black and Brown communities with information on how to safely interact with law enforcement.

After telling us about his background and early experiences with police, King and BJ talk about how Black and Brown people who are active in the community don't desire to be police, but those kinds of individuals are needed in the police force to help bridge the gap between the community and law enforcement. King says police are public figures, but believes that in order to get respect, you have to give respect.

King talks about the struggles of small police departments and how they don’t have the tools needed to handle certain assignments, such as homeless shelters or housing for assaulted women. He also talks about how voting and police reform go hand-in-hand.

King aims to provide opportunities to anyone who wants to work in law enforcement and is willing to obtain the necessary education, training, and certifications - regardless of race. He wants to create a diverse pool of candidates who can replace him as the chief of police in the future. He also explains how to file complaints about officer’s behavior, and what the process is like at his department.

Bola WRAP

Watch #Huemans: A Guide To Get Home

More about Chief Henry King

Chief Henry King Jr started his employment at the Rocky Mount Police Department in December 2000 as a patrol officer. Serving in this capacity, he worked as a uniform patrol officer, answering calls for service, serving warrants, and traffic control. He also worked as a bicycle officer. Henry was transferred to the Administrative Services Division in 2003 as a School Resource Officer (SRO) and was assigned to Edwards Middle School. In July 2005, Henry was promoted to the rank of Corporal. In July 2006, he was promoted to Sergeant assigned to the Uniformed Operations Division. In February 2010, Henry was transferred to the Professional Standards Division. In August 2013, he was promoted to Lieutenant. In August of 2017, he was promoted to Captain and assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division. On May 7, 2018, he was named Chief of Police for the Town of Edenton. Chief Henry King Jr is also assigned to the North Carolina Secretary State Task Force and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Task Force.

Chief Henry King is a native of Durham, NC. He has served in the military (United States Marine Corps) and is a graduate of North Carolina Central University. He is also a graduate of the North Carolina State University, Administrative Officers Management Program, Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police and the FBI National Academy Session 283. Chief King serves as an Executive Board member on the North Carolina Internal Affairs Investigation Association. He also serves as a Commissioner for the North Carolina Sentencing Commission and the North Carolina Locksmith Licensing Board. Henry also serves as an Executive Board member for the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police. He is a Life Member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Episode 48: Role Models for Policing with Guests Rob Mewborn and Di’Nesha Rouse

Episode 48: Role Models for Policing with Guests Rob Mewborn and Di’Nesha Rouse

On our newest podcast episode, we welcome two officers from the police department in Kinston, NC: Rob Mewborn and Di’Nesha Rouse. You & Five-O has partnered with the Kinston PD for many years - they have a predominantly African American population, with a mostly white police department - because of their desire to improve community-police relations by spreading awareness and educating the community on how to safely interact with law enforcement.

After introducing themselves, Officers Mewborn and Rouse discuss the challenges of pursuing a career in law enforcement in the Black community. They talk about how there weren’t any Black role models as police officers when they were younger, and how the Black community tends to prioritize sports as a career over other paths. They also discuss how the opinions and attitudes of their family, friends, and community vilify becoming a police officer, and ideas they have for how to change that.

BJ highlights the importance of hiring from the local level - both Rouse and Mewborn were born and raised in Kinston - and the difference it makes as an officer when you’re connected with your community. Mewborn and Rouse also share their experiences as school resource officers - what they see on the ground level, working with youth, and the daily struggles they encounter. They approach their work with a mindset of being the change they want to see and actively explore ways to help young people succeed and stay out of trouble.

 

More about Di’Nesha Rouse:
Di’Nesha Rouse was hired by the Kinston Police Department in 2019. Prior to her service in Kinston, she attended college at Winston Salem State University, majoring in Criminal Justice. Officer Rouse started her career in law enforcement on the patrol division. Due to Officer Rouse’s involvement in and with the community, she has received awards ranging from Officer of the Month to Life Saving awards. Officer Rouse has furthered her knowledge by attending the Gang Resistance Education and Training program, located in Forsyth Georgia, in an effort to combat delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership for children/teens. Officer Rouse transitioned from patrol to working as the school resource officer for Rochelle Middle School in January 2023.

More about Rob Mewborn:
Officer Rob Mewborn is a lifetime resident of Kinston, NC - born in east Kinston and educated in the public school system. Officer Mewborn has served the citizens of Kinston for over 18 years, in many different capacities throughout the city. He started his career with the City of Kinston in 2004 and later transferred to the Police Division in 2010. After serving for a short while as a police officer, he returned to environmental services and worked for seven more years. In 2017 Officer Mewborn was asked by the former Chief of Police Alonzo Jaynes if he would be interested in returning to the Police Division and serving as Kinston High’s School Resource Officer, which he readily accepted. With over 15 years of experience dealing with young people, Officer Mewborn has managed to usher in a new wave of experience and make lasting relationships with the young students at KHS, as well as the community in which he serves. Officer Mewborn is a true example of community policing, and enjoys serving the students and citizens of Kinston NC.

 

Episode 47: Your Questions, Your Power with Guests Finesse Moreno-Rivera & Kelly Childress

We’re back with the first episode of 2023 and this time we’re joined by two amazing, data-driven women: Finesse Moreno-Rivera and Kelly Childress. After hearing more about each of their backgrounds, they dive into discussing Finesse’s USA Today article and the importance of learning how to interact with law enforcement. Finesse and Kelly focus on analyzing data when it comes to policing - looking at minor violations, traffic stops, etc. - and emphasize the lack of complete data available because police agencies are not required to report it. Community members need to know that they can and should ask their police agencies what they’re currently tracking, as well as ask them to track data they aren’t. This is an important aspect of holding police accountable!

BJ, Kelly, and Finesse discuss the amount of people leaving the police force, the next generation of law enforcement that will provide the change communities want to see in the system, and moving past the “tough on crime” rhetoric to focus on serving people. They also share their thoughts on how the media impacts the way people view crime/police - there’s always more to the story and data than is shared in the media’s short sound-bites.

Finesse and Kelly also emphasize the importance of making data more accessible to the community so they can easily view and understand it, which helps them make informed decisions and push for change. They end the show by discussing a variety of topics, from the importance of education and getting out of the school-to-prison pipeline, to the push-back they get on their work regarding policing, to what we can do to change the community’s perspective on policing, and what makes citizens noncompliant.

Read Finesse’s USA Today article

More about Finesse Moreno-Rivera:
Finesse received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Kentucky and a M.A. in Forensic Psychology from Roger Williams University. Throughout graduate school and post academia, Finesse has worked at the state and federal level conducting research, criminal investigations and serving the forensic population through various phases of criminal proceedings such as supervision, court room representation and assisting prisoners with reentry programs. Her previous work has focused on data analysis examining opioid replacement programs, criminal profiling, sentencing guidelines, data transparency efforts for law enforcement entities and legislation analysis.

 

For example, during her time at the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, her review of the Pennsylvania Probation and Parole board data was to ensure that their assessment was validated and scientifically sound when assessing the release of inmates. In addition, Finesse’s work with the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, has been utilized in many congressional hearings for talking points in assessing and developing policies for programs such as the Second Chance Act. In previous hearings, former Attorney General William Barr utilized her analysis to determine funding needed, impact and progress of the policy. Her passions continue to be criminal justice reform and the utilization of data and policy analysis in the criminal justice field.

More about Kelly Childress:
Kelly Childress received her Master’s of Sociology with a concentration in criminology from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). While at UNCG, she worked on numerous projects examining topics such as the prison-to-school pipeline, racial bias policing, and reentry programming for formerly incarcerated women.

Her graduate thesis, “Life Histories of Formerly Incarcerated Black Women” examined the lives of six formerly incarcerated women to identify familial and personal relationships, trauma, and other experiences linked to incarceration for women. It became apparent that lack of access to resources and trauma created pathways into the criminal justice system for Black women.

In addition, she has worked in the school system and social services. Currently, she is working as a program coordinator for the homeless. Kelly is passionate about advocating for trauma-informed policing and criminal justice reform. She also has a passion for data. Through her work with You and Five-O, she has helped to provide insight into systemic issues with the criminal justice system and the effects of generational trauma within Black and Brown communities as it pertains to the criminal justice system.

Episode 46: “All you’ve seen is not ALL there is” with Guest Margaret Cowan

Welcome back to the YFO podcast! Today, we have Margaret Cowan joining us to talk about her organization: I Am My Sister’s Keeper, which helps single mothers in the Memphis area that need a village and support system, through weekly meetings, monthly outings, quarterly events, and more! Margaret tells us about her experience as a single mom and how you just need the space to exhale, talk to other moms, and take care of yourself. She believes that when you’re better as a mom, you can raise better kids and parent better, which then expands to improving your community.

BJ and Margaret talk about single Black & Brown mothers during this moment, specifically when navigating interactions with police and figuring out how to keep their kids safe from gun violence and out of the judicial system. They share their personal experiences with the police and how treating each other with respect can improve the situation and emotions on both sides of the interaction.

Margaret tells us more about the expectations of the participants in her organization and how she holds them accountable to show up, be responsible, and do the internal work. Not everyone is ready - some just want the tangible, free stuff - so they have guidelines to manage that, especially for those receiving financial support. She also shares her “why” for doing this work, what motivates her to keep going, and a success story from women she’s worked with in her organization.

 

Learn more & donate to I Am My Sisters Keeper

Instagram, Facebook

 

More about Margaret Cowan:

Margaret Cowan is the Founding Keeper of I Am My Sister's Keeper (IAMSK), which originated in 2018. She is the single mother of three amazing young ladies, Cayden Danae (22), Camryn Dechele (19), and Camaya Denyce (18). Margaret completed her Associate's degree in 2020 and is currently pursuing her Bachelor's in Sociology with a minor in Nonprofit Management at the University of Memphis. She graduates on December 11, 2022. Margaret recognizes the importance of community in the life of a single mom. Her mission is to create a village in which single moms live and support each other. It is her desire to use her God-given gifts and abilities, along with her lifelong lessons, to own a neighborhood full of homes occupied by single moms. In order to obtain a paid position and prepare for a successful future for IAMSK, Margaret has completed a variety of training events and classes. She is most proud of her completion of the Executive Director Bootcamp led by Momentum Nonprofit Partners, "Before You Ask" by the Assisi Foundation, and Fundraising-Continuing Education Program led by the University of Memphis. Margaret enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She understands people, never meets a stranger, and is always willing to lend a helping hand.

 

Episode 45: “It’s Easier for Institutions to Pivot” with Guest Aminah Thompson

Episode 45: “It’s Easier for Institutions to Pivot” with Guest Aminah Thompson

We’re excited to welcome you back to the podcast! This time we are joined by Aminah Thompson - who will become the Durham County Clerk of Superior Court in December - to have a conversation around the institution of the judicial system and those who work within it. Aminah tells us about her family background, the importance of education and civil rights to her parents, and how she hopes to carry on that legacy as she starts her new journey in the courts.

Aminah joined us for our webinar in June, where she made a key point about police sending people to the magistrate to take out warrants on other people. In this podcast episode, she expands on that idea, explains the new process for it, and discusses with BJ how to get the Black community to stop calling the police into their homes. She also talks about what’s pushing people into the judicial system - namely the community not knowing what to do in crisis situations due to a lack of education and resources (something she hopes to improve as Durham County Clerk).

We also get to hear about some of Aminah’s plans once she becomes the Clerk of Superior Court and how she aims to better serve the public. BJ and Aminah finish the show by discussing how to keep the judicial system out of people’s homes; including teaching people how to problem solve through education and resources, and the need for more training across the board in all of the judicial system. As Aminah says, “it’s easier for institutions to pivot” than it is for an individual trying do it on their own during a crisis. And, as always, it comes down to respect - on all sides of the system.

More about Aminah Thompson:
Aminah Thompson, a long-time resident of Durham, has served as a Magistrate for 13 years, presiding over civil, criminal, and administrative traffic courts. Thompson earned her bachelor’s degree from Duke University and Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill. Since law school, she has dedicated her career to public service. She is the proud mother of an amazing 2 year old boy, a member of Union Baptist Church, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Alpha Zeta Omega Chapter. In addition, many professional, educational, and civic associations have been recipients of her leadership, guidance, and stewardship.

During the May primary election, Thompson earned the Democratic nomination for Durham County Clerk of Superior Court. With no challenger on the November ballot, she is the presumptive winner and will take office in early December. Thompson is committed to being deliberate, compassionate, respectful, and fair as she continues serving the citizens of Durham. She will be the first African American and the first woman to serve as Durham’s elected Clerk of Superior Court.

 

 

Episode 26 Re-Release: “It’s a legal system not a justice system” with Guest Dr. Craig Waleed

Episode 26 Re-Release: “It's a legal system not a justice system” with Guest Dr. Craig Waleed
Dr. Craig Waleed helped facilitate our “Voices of Passion” event on June 18th, which focused on addressing the issues that push Black and Brown people into the judicial system - specifically education, police brutality, housing, and employment. We wanted to re-share his podcast episode so you can learn more about his experience in and out of the justice system and the impact it had on his life.

In this episode, Dr. Waleed tells us about his background, the community he grew up in and circumstances that led to him being incarcerated, as well as the path he followed through higher education after getting out, and the book he wrote about it all. He discusses ideas for how to address violent behavior in young people and what changes need to be made in policing, including adjusting what all police are responsible for as they are often asked to do too much. Dr. Waleed explains what he thinks a compassionate judicial system could look like, including utilizing education and encouraging incarcerated people to find their path so they can go back to their communities to build them back up.

More about Dr. Waleed:
At the age of nineteen, Dr. Waleed was incarcerated for eight years in New York State prisons. During his term of incarceration, Dr. Waleed earned an Associate of Arts degree from Canisius College. Following his release from prison in 1997, Dr. Waleed continued pursuing higher education. He eventually earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Science with a concentration in Substance Abuse Counseling and a Master’s of Science in Mental Health Counseling from the State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport College. In 2017, Dr. Waleed completed a Doctorate of Education from St. John Fisher College. His Dissertation focused on What Aspects of Emotional Intelligence Help Former Prisoners Make Decisions to Desist Crime?

Dr. Waleed previously served as a Substance Abuse Counselor and as a Reentry Case Manager for post-incarcerated citizens. He has engaged with various student bodies on several college campuses in New York State and sat on community panels exploring carceral matters. Dr. Waleed was also a guest speaker at TEDx SingSing 2020. He has created and facilitated Emotional Intelligence training, taught Counseling and Communication courses in Higher Education and is the author of his autobiography entitled “Prison to Promise: A Chronicle of Healing and Transformation.” Dr. Waleed is dedicated to excellence in teaching and scholarship, disrupting the community to prison pipeline, and reducing post-incarceration recidivism. He aims to educate and motivate others impacted by the criminal legal system to challenge and overcome life’s impediments and live a more rewarding life.

 

Prison to Promise: A Chronicle of Healing and Transformation, written by Dr. Waleed

Prison to Promise: A Chronicle of Healing and Transformation: Waleed, Dr. Craig: 9798671941111: Amazon.com: Books

 

 

Episode 44: Justice Movement with Guest Lisa “L.A.” Jones

Episode 44: Justice Movement with Guest Lisa “L.A.” Jones

We welcome another one of our Voices of Passion panelists to the show this week - Lisa “L.A.” Jones - to discuss her experience as a Black female prison warden, what she thinks is sending Black and Brown people into the justice system, and her current work with Hayti Reborn - Justice Movement, an organization she founded with retired Durham Police Chief Steven Chalmers with the intention of bridging the gap between community and law enforcement to create a system that supports justice-served individuals.

After detailing her past - including the poverty and trauma that impacted her life - L.A. explains how she got into working in the prison system and the challenges she faced as a Black female warden. She knew the best way to learn was from inside the system - to find out why the law is enforced so differently for Black and Brown vs. white people, as well as why the same people keep coming back to prison, specifically focusing on the lack of re-entry programs that are available. L.A. believes getting to the root cause of “why” something is happening is essential in understanding each issue and healing the community. She explains that it’s not just the incarcerated person that’s impacted - it’s the entire family that ends up being justice involved, especially the kids. BJ and L.A. discuss how Black and Brown communities blame each other (and kill each other) for these kinds of issues, rather than address them and the system that created them directly. This comes back to the importance of education and voting - now is the time for Black and Brown folks to make a change, and BJ and L.A. discuss what they believe is possible.

 

More about Hayti Reborn - Justice Movement: Justice Movement | Haytireborn

More about Lisa “L.A.” Jones
Lisa A. “L.A.” Jones (a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina) is a retired corrections administrator in the federal corrections system. L.A. spent her 30-year career in a variety of correctional positions and environments, becoming among the highest ranking African-American women in the federal prison. Her education consists of attendance at Southern Nazarene University, in Bethany, Oklahoma where she received a BS in Family Studies & Gerontology (Counseling Psychology specialization) and Saint Leo University, where she received a MS in Criminal Justice (dual specialization of Corrections & Behavioral Studies). She is currently a seminary student at Meadville Lombard Seminary School in Chicago, IL.

At the height of her career, L.A. decided to take her education, experience, and understanding of systems of incarceration and reassign those talents to the area of holistic re-entry programs and practices that create systemic change for justice-involved individuals, their families, and the communities in which they live. Her passion lies at the intersection of Criminal and Social Justice, where she works hard to bridge the two. All her work is done through a spiritually holistic lens. As a retiree, L.A. returned to Durham, NC where she is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Movement Operations for the Hayti Reborn – Justice Movement. She serves as a member of the Durham Sheriff’s Community Advisory Board and Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Southern Coalition of Social Justice. She is a poet, genealogist, and member of the William C Friday Fellowship for Human Relations in North Carolina.

 

 

Episode 43: How to Call 9-1-1, Part 2 with Guest Jeryl Anderson

Episode 43: How to Call 9-1-1, Part 2 with Guest Jeryl Anderson
We are excited to welcome Jeryl Anderson back to the podcast - especially after she was on our Voices of Passion panel on June 18th! She always has great educational information to share about how to properly utilize 9-1-1 (listen to her first episode on the podcast for more!), specifically the importance of “don’t hang up”, even if you call by accident.

After explaining her emergency communications work - including the new telecommunicating training system that was launched this year - Jeryl talks about her perspective as a Black woman 9-1-1 telecommunicator. She explains the Black and Brown experience using 9-1-1 and emergency services; the fear associated with it, as well as how they invite law enforcement/responders into their homes for a variety of reasons (domestic violence, mistrust in healthcare, reporting each other, etc.), and what can be done to change that. Jeryl gives an overview of the 9-1-1 system in NC, how training is shifting to community colleges, and details about her outreach coordinator job. She goes into the community to teach people how to properly use 9-1-1, what a real emergency is, and what to call if it’s not an emergency so you don’t clog the system. Jeryl believes making a change starts with educating children and sending information home to their families so they can learn too.

Listen to Jeryl’s first episode on the podcast! Episode 30: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3zsWNuM2n3KsWUBUwdNNFE?si=zF7TKdesS8GdK0YsovSR8Q

New Mental Health Hotline: The Lifeline and 988 : Lifeline (suicidepreventionlifeline.org)

More about Jeryl Anderson
Jeryl Anderson has worked in public safety emergency communications for over thirty years. She is currently employed at Orange County Emergency Services, as the Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator, and recently accepted a position with Durham Technical Community College, as their Coordinator for 9-1-1 Training. Jeryl has been a certified instructor since the 1990’s and has vast experience in classroom presentation, including curriculum and testing development, online course development and implementation. She is proud to have been at the beginning of the Telecommunicator Certification Course for North Carolina Telecommunicators, during her time as a Criminal Justice Instructor Coordinator with the NC Justice Academy, where for eleven years, she taught, edited, and implemented the curriculum across the state of North Carolina. Jeryl is an experienced online instructor, conference speaker and event coordinator. She is an RPL (Registered Professional Leader) and CPE (Certified Public Safety Executive) through National APCO and an ENP (Emergency Number Professional) through NENA.