More than 60 people attended a Community Townhall Meeting to discuss racial profiling and other concerns last night at the Jefferson County Courthouse. The meeting was organized by Rev. Mark Smith, pastor of the Holy Temple Church of God in Christ in Silsbee after Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested in his home and accused Massachusetts police of racial profiling. It also comes after two Beaumont police officers were indicted for allegedly using too much force during an arrest. Some of the panelists include Beaumont Police Chief Frank Coffin; John Flanagan, Beaumont police's recruiting officer, Lt. Tyler who oversees Beaumont police's internal affairs department, Judge Lupe Flores and Judge John Stevens. The questions centered around racial profiling and how complaints are handled within the police department. One person asked the panel to explain their thoughts on why the attendees were majority African American when the meeting was open to the public in general. No one answered that question. The meeting received mixed reviews from attendees. Some thought it was effective, while others said it didn't accomplish much.
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