Raleigh police officers guarding police chief’s home 24/7 since shooting protest
Officers have been providing around-the-clock security at Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown’s home since a large group of protesters showed up at her door in March.
“It is unsettling to know that there are individuals in the community and across the nation who threaten our police chief,” the Raleigh Police Department said in a statement Thursday evening on its Facebook page.
“However, that is the harsh reality that we face,” it continued. “Even as the department works to determine which threats are credible and those that are not, we find it necessary to continue the security detail for Chief Deck-Brown and, by extension, her neighbors.”
The Raleigh Police Protective Association questioned the security detail earlier Thursday and said other officers who have been threatened haven’t gotten the same treatment. But the department’s statement says other officers and public officials have been provided protective details in the past.
The “uniform patrol security detail” has guarded Deck-Brown’s home all day, seven days a week, for the past 51 days, according to the association.
“We find this concerning because this unusual security service is an atypical use of city and police resources,” said Rick Armstrong, a spokesperson for the association.
“Private citizens and business owners requesting around-the-clock security would be required to hire off-duty police at $35 per hour or a private security service,” he said in a news release. “Why is Chief Deck-Brown treated differently than Raleigh citizens or Raleigh police officers?”
Suspect shot by officer
Protesters marched in downtown Raleigh March 10, into the early morning of March 11, after Raleigh police officer J.E. Byrd shot 26-year-old Javier Torres. Police say Torres ran toward an officer with a gun. Torres was taken to a hospital where he was treated for his injuries. Byrd remains on administrative leave.
Some protesters went to Deck-Brown’s home that night as well as Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin’s home. At an early morning press conference March 11, Deck-Brown said coming to her home crossed a line.
“I understand the frustration, but what happened tonight, last night, was wrong on a lot of levels,” she said.
Her address has been shared by protesters. and she has received “numerous angry and threatening emails,” according to the Police Department’s statement.
“This type of activity poses a threat not only to the chief, but to her neighbors and their property as well,” the statement said.
Still, the police association believes that other officers are being assigned from other parts of the city to fulfill “this assignment at a private residence.”
“RPPA feels this special treatment compromises public safety, drains financial resources, and warrants a discussion by the Raleigh City Council to approve and budget the program’s existence,” Armstrong said.
This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 8:37 PM.
