Sangamon County Board Chair Andy Van Meter, working with state Sen. Doris Turner, has taken a good step by forming a Sonya Massey Commission to examine the underlying causes that led to Sonya Massey's death. The county and its Republican-dominated board are often left out of serious discussions of systemic racism in law enforcement that is sometimes considered a central-city Springfield problem. But Massey's July 6 killing by a Sangomon County deputy has laid bare the need for the county to confront its complicity. Not only should the commission investigate sheriff's department hiring practices, but also training and salaries for deputies, and conditions at the jail (see "Too many deaths at the Sangamon County Jail," p. 13). As the announcement said, the initiative "is not just about addressing a single tragedy, it's about transforming the community." A transformed Sangamon County will be a better place to live. – Fletcher Farrar, editor Cover photo by Virginia Scott
Editor's note 08-22-24
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