Two months ago, a half dozen federal officials traveled to Bunkie, Louisiana to meet with law enforcement and two local citizen organizations.  One meeting emphasized “problem youth” and sagging pants; the second focused on warrantless searches, racial profiling, and of evidence of evidence planting.  

US Attorney Donald Washington told a meeting of the Coalition for Justice that the “sagging pants” people had no complaints about local law enforcement.  Bunkie Police Chief Mary Fanara was claiming that the malcontents were just a bunch of drug dealers and their family members who thought they should be free to peddle their poison in her town.

Who was Mr. Washington supposed to believe?

Then, a day before another scheduled meeting of the Coalition for Justice, 100 police officers from a variety of federal and state agencies swept into Bunkie in the early morning hours, arresting twenty suspected drug dealers.

Score one for the sagging pants people.

Just in case anyone was counting, a middle-aged white couple was arrested along with the usual (black) suspects. 

If any illegal substances were seized during the raid local authorities didn’t publicize the fact.

The Bunkie raid was reminiscent of the infamous Tulia drug sting.  Only half the number of suspects were arrested, twice as many law enforcement personnel were involved, and (unlike Tulia) the federal government (FBI, federal marshalls) were involved.  But the employment of a multijurisdictional task force is standard operating procedure in the war on drugs.

Several parents of defendants spoke at the well-attended meeting of the Coalition for Justice in Bunkie last night; their experiences with law enforcement varied considerably.  Some officers were respectful and professional, producing search warrants and answering questions in a patient and courteous manner.  Other families were not so fortunate.

Several parents reported that law enforcement refused to produce search warrants on the pretext that they weren’t required to.  Some officers, according to reports, refused to identify themselves by name or badge number.

One mother reported that her thirteen year-old daughter had been dragged from her bed and thrown on the floor with a gun pointed at her head.  The officers conducting that raid got the wrong house.  No apologies were offered when the mistake came to light.

Some defendants were allowed to dress; others were hauled off in their boxers with their teeth and hair unbrushed.

Several speakers told the affected families that this is a time for patience.  If the Bunkie Police Department really had conducted a year-long investigation (as newspaper reports claim), and if they have solid evidence to back up their charges, we will respond accordingly.  If, however, no real evidence is produced and everything devolves into the all-too-common swearing match between an undercover cop and a defendant, that will be another matter altogether.

There can be no doubt that Monday’s raid was timed to make the point that the Bunkie Police Department is serious about the drug war and has the full support of state and federal officials.

Friends of Justice was represented at the meeting by Executive Director Alan Bean, Outreach Director Lydia Bean and Dwight Pope and Vanessa Hernandez, our valiant summer interns.  This afternoon we will be visiting with Ann Colomb in Church Point before heading on to Jena to visit with Jena 6 families.

Bunkie has been a slow-simmering story since Friends of Justice was first contacted by local resident Denise Atkins in February of 2007.  After interviewing dozens of concerned people it was clear that an adversarial relationship had developed between the Bunkie Police Department and the poor sector of the African American community.  I talked to four former members of the Bunkie Police Deparment who told me it had not always been thus. 

Two participants in the Tuesday night meeting were former Bunkie residents currently working in law enforcement in Dallas and Los Angeles.  While admitting that every law enforcement agency has its share of problems, the officers in our midst assured us that warrantless searches are not standard procedure in their jurisdictions. 

Another speaker told the group that we have not gathered to express out anger with the Bunkie Police Department.  Anger, he said, is not effective; organizing is.  Law enforcement has a proper and honorable role and we need to honor that; but when police officers behave as if the protections and rights of citizenship do not extend to all members of the community we have a problem. 

And so we wait.  How things will shake out in Bunkie, Louisiana is anyone’s guess.  Repeated efforts to file official complaints with the FBI have thus far proven unsuccessful.  The Alexandria office has made it clear that they will not be investigating in Bunkie.  When complaints are addressed to other FBI offices in Louisiana, complainants are directed to Alexandria. 

Liza Grote of the Louisiana ACLU has written a pointed letter to US Attorney Donald Washington addressing these concerns.  One thing is certain, tensions will continue to simmer in this little town until the right questions are addressed by the appropriate people.  This is an issue of democratice accountability.  Are we a nation that provides liberty and justice for all, or are we not?