SOUTH BEND, Ind.–Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg left behind a police department that needs fixing, said Rev. James Williams, one of the leaders of Faith in Indiana’s St. Joseph County chapter. He says the new mayor needs to make sure there is transparency in discipline for police.
Friday the St. Joseph County prosecutor announced no charges would be filed against former white officer Ryan O’Neill, who is white, for the shooting of Eric Logan, who was black.
“Mayor Buttigieg was a part of the police department having some cultural problems. Let me put it that way,” said Williams, when asked if the former mayor left behind a mess. “He didn’t really help move it through because it was the mayor, Buttigeig, who was part of the firing of the African-American police chief.”
The chief was demoted for secretly recording an officer who he may have felt made racist remarks. The recording may have violated federal law.
“So, that in itself created an atmosphere of lack of trust for the police department. So, from that perspective I would say yes (to whether a mess had been left behind), especially when you don’t indicate that you were sorry for what you had done,” said Williams.
He said he believes that no apology from Buttigieg has resulted in the police department having cart blanche, saying “we can do what we want to do”.
Buttigieg dropped out of the Democrat race for president after losing in South Carolina, whose black population voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden. Buttigieg had campaigned extensively there, attempting to court the black vote. He was preceded to the state by stories about his relationship with African-Americans in South Bend.
