LIMA — Despite the empty seat in the middle of the panel, a Lima mayoral debate organized by the Lima NAACP took place Thursday at Bradfield Center, with both challengers to incumbent Mayor David Berger, Keith Cheney and Derry Glenn, in attendance.
Berger issued a statement early Thursday outlining his reasons for declining his invitation to the debate, deciding instead to hold a community forum at the same time Thursday at Fresh N Faded barbershop downtown. His absence left Cheney and Glenn to debate between themselves how best to lead Lima going forward. Moderated by NAACP state coordinator WilliAnn Moore, many of the questions centered on how the candidates would deal with issues of particular relevance to the minority community.
Both candidates advocated for more deliberate hiring of minority police officers, with Cheney asserting that community oriented policing is not sufficient to build positive relationships with minorities.
“That’s not putting an officer in a desk in a building,” he said. “My community action team will have officers on the streets in your neighborhoods so trust is earned between officers and the residents.”
Glenn suppported the idea of pinpoint policing, but not stopping people at random.
“Police officers driving around and stopping people is not right,” he said. “That’s why we’re working with places like Rhodes State to recruit minority police officers in Lima.”
On minority hiring, both candidates said that more can be done to make the city attract more minority workers, especially police officers.
“It appears to me that during a political season, (Berger) can find minorities to hire,” Cheney said. “Well, I’ll find police officers to hire that will be minorities.”
“People are passing the civil service test,” Glenn said. “But the administration is showing favoritism, and I will continue to fight for this.”
Both Cheney and Glenn also spoke on working to foster a positive, productive relationship with Lima City Council members, a relationship that Glenn says is not there for everyone.
“It’s been bad to have a high tenure city councilman and the mayor has nothing to say to me,” Glenn said. “This is terrible. I believe in an open door policy.”
Cheney also touted an open door policy, saying he would be willing to meet anytime with council members as well as Lima residents.
“I think you’re accountable to each other, but ultimately, every elected official is accountable to the citizens of this city,” he said. “That’s the most important to me, to be accountable and accessible to the residents of Lima, Ohio.”
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