BACK
BACK ON
BACK ON INSIDE
TENNESSEEE. HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A GOOD START TO YOUR SUNDAY.
THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE VYING FOR
ONE SLOT ON THE KNOX COUNTY
DISTRICT
DISTRICT ONE SEAT THERE WITH US MR. REGINALD JACKSON AND MS.
DACIA LUNDY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING, SUSAN.
GO AHEAD.
>> ONE OF THE ISSUES NATIONALLY
IN THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS WITH
THIS COROANAVIRUS RIGHTS AND
PROTESTS GOING ON HAS BEEN TO
TALK ABOUT DEFUNDING THE POLICE
.
I HEARD DAIJA I HEARD YOU TALK
ABOUT SAFETY IN YOUR COMMUNITY
AT REGINAL.
SO YOU HAVE CONCERNS AS WELL.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION
AMONG CANDIDATES?
HAVE YOU HEARD ANY FROM ANY
OTHER COMMISSIONERS ABOUT
LOOKING AT DEFUNDING THE POLICE
IN KNOX IN KNOX COUNTY?
DACIA?
>> I KNOW SOME OF THE OTHER
COMMISSION CANDIDATES SAY WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT BOARD.
NOT REALLY.
I DON'T REALLY LIKE THAT WORD
DEFUNDING THE POLICE BECAUSE I
THINK IT JUST WE HAVE FIGURED
OUT HOW TO DEFINE THAT.
BUT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS
THAT WE WANT MORE SOCIAL
WORKERS OF ADDRESSING THOSE
CALLS .
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE
GOING THROUGH A MENTAL HEALTH
CRISIS BECAUSE AS YOU AS WE ALL
WATCH GEORGE FLOYD BASICALLY
GET MURDERED BY A POLICE
OFFICER, THAT WAS A VERY
UNFORTUNATE SITUATION.
AND YEAH, THIS WHOLE CIVIL RACE
I THINK THIS IS CHALLENGES THAT
DIFFERENT AND DO POLICE IN
DIFFERENT CHROMEBOOKS LUNDIE
JUST A FOLLOW UP ON THAT
KNOXVILLE POLICE AND CITY
COUNCIL PASSED THIS WEEK A
PILOT PROGRAM WITH HELEN ROSS
MCNABB CENTER THE BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH CENTER TO HAVE A
SPECIALIST RIGHT ALONG WITH A
POLICE OFFICER.
>> IT'S A TEST RUN, IF YOU WILL
,IF IF THAT SEES SOME SUCCESS
,IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU
MIGHT PUSH FOR AT THE COUNTY
LEVEL FOR THE SHERIFF'S
DEPARTMENT?
YES, A CLASS DECENCIES.
YES.
YES.
YES. YES.
YES. YES. ALL RIGHT.
FLEGED JACKSON.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO
CHANGE THE ATTITUDES OF SOME OF
OUR POLICE OFFICERS TOO.
SO YES, WELL, I DON'T BELIEVE
FUNDING AND I TOLD THE A.P.
THAT WHEN I TALKED TO THEM AND
I'M VERY CLEAR ABOUT THAT I
BELIEVE WHAT THEY REALLY NEED
IS THEY NEED PSYCHIATRIST ON
DUTY FOR AS.
>> AS WORKING WITH THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT THAT SO WHEN THE
POLICE GOES THROUGH THESE
THINGS THEY CAN THEY CAN HAVE
SOMEBODY TO TALK TO.
THAT'S WITH TAPE SHERRIF SCHOOL
SECURITY ALIKE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WHEN WHEN
I WAS A SOLDIER MILITARY AS AN
ARMY I MADE SURE THAT I SENT MY
SOLDIER.
ANYTHING HAPPEN?
I WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO PUSH
MYSELF TO GO TALK ABOUT OH, WE
SIT DOWN AND TALK.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
BUT I DON'T I DON'T THINK IT'S
A GOOD IDEA TO PUT A SOCIAL
WORKER IN A CRUISER BECAUSE
WHEN THINGS HAPPEN WHEN SPARKS
START TO FLY AND THE GAME IS ON
,YOU KNOW THAT'S SOMEBODY ELSE
GETTING HURT.
THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE
AT THE TIME.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU WANT
TO HAVE BETTER THINGS GOING ON
WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU
HAVE TO TRAIN.
TRAINING IS THE KEY.
I WAS A SCHOOL SECURITY OFFICER
AND WE DID WE WENT THROUGH
TRAINING AND IF IT WAS
SOMETHING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE
TRAINED, WE WERE TRAINED ON IT
SO WE CAN HAVE DE-ESCALATION IS
THE MAIN KEY TO HIT ANYTHING
THAT'S THE BEST THING YOU HAVE
IN YOUR TOOL BELT IS TALKING
DOWN A SUSPECT OR ANYBODY ELSE
.
SO I BELIEVE IF WE TEACH THE
POLICE OFFICER IN THE SHERRIF
OFFCER LIKE HOW TO TALK DOWN
THE SUSPECT, THAT'S THE BEST
WAY TO DO IT.
>> GONGWER DID EITHER OF YOU
RECEIVED.
I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK IF HE
RECEIVED THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE
FFP SOUNDS LIKE REGGIE OR YOU
TALK TO THEM.
AND WHAT ABOUT YOU?
AND DID EITHER OF YOU GET INTO
OR OUTDOOR NIGHT JUST FOR
PERSONAL REASONS?
>> YOU KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING
GOING NOW?
I JUST FELT CONVICTION NOT TO
PURSUE THAT AT THAT TIME.
AT THIS TIME RAJO DID YOU GET.
YES, I WAS YES I DID GET THE
DOORS OPEN, DON.
>> GO AHEAD.
>> YEAH.
FOLKS, LET ME SWITCH OVER TO A
QUESTION I'VE ASKED OTHER
CANDIDATES FOR COUNTY
COMMISSION AND I'M SORT OF
WAITING FOR THE MAGIC BEAN
ANSWER FROM SOMEBODY THE
BIGGEST FUNDING PORTION THAT
YOU WILL HAVE A COUNTY
COMMISSION WILL BE TOWARDS THE
KNOX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD.
UNFORTUNATELY, COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS HAVE LITTLE SAY
IN HOW THAT MONEY IS SPENT.
THEY REALLY JUST APPROVE UP OR
DOWN THE BUDGET.
CAN EITHER OF YOU FATHOM A PLAN
OR A METHODOLOGY WHERE COUNTY
COMMISSION CAN BE MORE INVOLVED
IN THE CURRICULUM REGINAL FOR
EXAMPLE, YOU MENTIONED MORE
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.
WELL, HOW DO YOU ACCOMPLISH
THAT?
FOR EXAMPLE, AS A COUNTY
COMMISSIONER WHEN WE HAVE AN
AUTONOMOUS SCHOOL BOARD THAT
REALLY MAKES THE CURRICULUM
DECISIONS SO REGINAL I'LL START
WITH YOU WITH THAT QUESTION
SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP
EARLIER IN THE SHOW.
>> THANK YOU.
WHAT I DID WAS I TALKED TO SOME
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
I TALKED TO MR. BOB THOMAS THE
SUPERINTENDENT AND I TALKED
WITH SOME OF THE PRINCIPALS
ABOUT THE TRAINING PROGRAM.
WHAT I DID WAS I GAVE THEM A
VISION AND I'M ALWAYS WORKING
ON VISION.
AND SO I SAID TROOPS TO
TEACHERS WILL BE GREAT.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR
TEACHERS, THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO
GO.
THAT'S WHEN MILITARY PERSONNEL
COME OUT OF THE MILITARY.
THEY'RE STILL IN THE MILITARY
BUT THEY COME OUT AND THEY BE
TEACHERS STUDENT FOR SIX YEARS.
AND SO THE MILITARY PAYS HALF
AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM PAYS.
SO THAT WAY THAT'S A GREAT WAY
TO GET BETTER TEACHERS, BETTER
QUALIFIED TEACHERS AND THE
BETTER FOR THE STUDENTS ALSO.
>> BUT ORIGINAL HOW DO YOU HOW
DO YOU EFFECTUATE THAT IF FOR
EXAMPLE, MAYBE THE SCHOOL BOARD
DOESN'T BUY?
HOW DO YOU SORT OF EXERT A
LITTLE MORE CURRICULUM CONTROL
AND MISUSE IT OVER AN
AUTONOMOUS SCHOOL BOARD?
IF EVEN THAT'S THE WAY COUNTY
COMMISSION SHOULD GO.
EVERYBODY THAT COMES ON THE
SHOW RUNNING FOR COUNTY
COMMISSION SAYS WE WANT TO HAVE
BETTER SCHOOLS.
WE WANT TO IMPROVE SCHOOLS.
BUT HOW DO YOU DO THAT IF THE
ONLY REAL POWER YOU HAVE RIGHT
NOW IS SIMPLY TO WRITE THE
CHECK?
OTHER THAN THE OBVIOUS WITHHOLD
THAT CHECK.
>> WELL, HOW?
HAVE A LOOK AT DORRAE IS PEOPLE
YOU HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE SHOW UP
TO THESE BOARD MEETING.
YOU HAVE TO BECAUSE REMEMBER
WHEN GEAHR IS ONE OF A NEW
SCHOOL, THE COUNTY COMMISSION
THAT THEY HAD KIND OF
COMMISSION THAT HAVE HELPED
PUSH FOR SO DID THE SCHOOL
BOARD MEMBER.
BUT IF THE PEOPLE NEVER SHOWED
UP, THEY WERE NEVER GOT WHAT
THEY WANT.
I'M ALWAYS PUSHING PEOPLE.
IN ADDITION, WE WANT TO SHOW UP
IF YOU WON'T RAISE YOU MUST
SHOW UP.
I CAN TALK ABOUT IT BUT UNLESS
YOU SHOW UP TO TALK ABOUT WE
WON'T HAVE IT JUST LIKE PROJECT
GRADE THEY SHOWED UP.
SO I'M ASKING THEM TO SHOW UP
AND SHOW OUT.
>> MISS LUNDI I THINK IT'S JUST
MOROBE IS BUILDING IT
RELATIONSHIP IN HAVING THE
VISION.
YOU KNOW WE ARPEY WE DO TALK
ABOUT WE WANT BETTER SCHOOLS
AND AND WE WANT TEACHERS TO
STAY.
BUT I THINK THE CONVERSATION IS
GREATER THAN THAT BECAUSE THESE
TEACHERS AND PEOPLE THAT WE
WANT TO STAY IN AND ESPECIALLY
BLACK TEACHERS IS HARD SINCE
THE VIBE IN IN THAT COUNTY AS A
PERSON OF COLOR BLACK PERSON
BECAUSE THE THE LACK OF
DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION.
SO I THINK THE CONVERSATIONS
SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER
BROADER WHEN IT COMES TO
TALKING ABOUT IMPROVING OUR
SCHOOLS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE
WE HAVE THE EXCELLENT TEACHERS
TO TEACH OUR KIDS.
I THINK IT IS MORE OF JUST KIND
OF STRAIGHTEN OUR SALES OUT
BEING A LITTLE BIT MORE
CREATIVE OF HOW WE APPROACH
THINGS AND MAKING SURE
RELOOKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH
AND JUST NOT THE SCHOOL TEACHER
STUDENT APPROACH, NOT JUST A
HOLISTIC APPROACH HOW TO
SURVIVE ASSUMING WE DON'T PICK
UP ON THAT