DAYTON — Protestors urge Dayton City Commissioners to fire the city manager after she promoted a chief from within the department for the first time in 24 years.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, they aren’t opposed to Eric Henderson’s promotion, but instead the process used to make it happen.
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On Wednesday, the protestors gathered at the steps of City Hall to call for the firing of Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein.
Before that, they took their complaints to the city commission meeting.
“Fire the city manager,” Zakiya Sankara-Jabar said.
Sankara-Jabar is the co-founder of Racial Justice NOW. She made it clear that she doesn’t respect the process that Dickstein used to promote Henderson to Chief of Police.
“This city is in a crisis, a public health crisis because of policies and practices and the concentration of power right here,” Sankara-Jabar said.
Dickstein defended the process.
She said the department did succession planning with Henderson for almost five years.
She also convened a panel of 11 community leaders to discuss the opening.
“I think that he is the man for the job. He will continue to elevate and truly work with those groups who are authentically interested in advancing our police and community relations,” Dickstein said.
Dickstein said she did not interview other candidates, internally or externally.
She did point out that community voices have repeatedly asked her to hire someone who knows Dayton.
As previously reported, Henderson joined the Dayton Police Department as an officer in 1999 and has climbed the ranks ever since.
“It’s not about this new chief not being credible, not having the competencies to fill the position,” Ebony Hastings said. “We are disheartened in regards to the way it took place.”
Hastings is also with Racial Justice NOW. She said the community feels disengaged after a recent fatal officer-involved shooting downtown and use-of-force investigations.
Now, they say this process failed to be transparent or inclusive enough.
“We are tired of the dog-and-pony show that happens down here at the city commission with this city manager who is running the city like a gangster,” Sankara-Jabar said.
No one on the City Commission has called for the city manager’s firing. In fact, the mayor and all four commissioners expressed their support for promoting Henderson.
He will begin serving as Chief on May 7.
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