COLUMN: Officer Shooting Underscores Need For Swift Civic Action

TUSCALOOSA, AL — When I was a kid, probably 10 or 11 years old, I distinctly recall my police officer Daddy grumbling and complaining as he squeezed into his bulletproof vest — a cumbersome and heavy piece of equipment on a deputy who already had more utilities on his person than Batman. It was a nuisance for him to wear every day, I'm sure, but they were effective and helped us sleep a little bit easier at night knowing he was wearing one.

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The protective technology has evolved by leaps and bounds since he worked for the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, but on Monday afternoon, I was reminded just how vital a bulletproof vest can be when one likely saved the life of a Tuscaloosa Police officer shot by a suspect at The Links during a foot chase. Simply put, the technology did its job and the community was able to breathe a collective sigh of relief as the officer was left with only bruised ribs.

The events of Monday afternoon, though, also brought back childhood memories of how worried and scared I was when my Dad came home once with his arm in a sling from a dislocated shoulder — the result of a physical altercation during a call. While I was always proud of his service, that twist of dread in the pit of my stomach when he went back to work after that isn't a feeling I would wish on anyone. I'm not sure if either of the officers injured have children or family at home, but knowing the feeling personally, my heart goes out to them.

The officers injured Monday, and my Dad, were the lucky ones though — injured on the job but still able to walk through the front door at the end of the day. Tuscaloosa Police Officer Dornell Cousette was not so fortunate, with what we saw yesterday echoing loudly as a reminder for many of his 2019 shooting death.

Cousette was gunned down in the line of duty while serving an arrest warrant on a young man in a high-crime area of town. His death sent shockwaves through the entire state, region and nation, leaving a void in the community he served that will not be filled. He was a father and family man who never got to return home and in an age where relations between the public and police are so visibly frayed, it's easy to lose sight of that.

Thankfully, our community did not have to relive that feeling Monday afternoon as a simple cloth vest and some protective plates prevented yet another tragedy.

With the dust somewhat settled, though, it's important to ask how we are going to address the persistent gun violence in our community, which continues to trend in the wrong direction, leaving heartbreak and destruction in its wake.

I will give the city of Tuscaloosa cautious credit, though, as discussions are expected to continue today related to purchasing numerous properties and dilapidated structures in University Manor — viewed by many as one of the most dangerous places in the city. TPD previously pointed out that it has been a standing policy for years to send at least two units to any call coming from the neighborhood, which is dotted with blighted properties and abandoned buildings that are attractive to drug dealers and users, in addition to being a kind of regional hub for stolen vehicles and firearms. During a pandemic that has seen the department's workforce availability drop below 70% at times, at the least this ongoing practice of having to send an increased police presence to each call presents a strain on resources that must be addressed with action from the city before it's too late.

We will be closely watching on Tuesday when the Tuscaloosa City Council's Public Safety Committee is expected to discuss potential code infractions and maintenance issues for University Manor, while the Finance Committee has already passed a $350,000 funding measure on to the full council for a vote during its regular meeting tonight.

While I know apprehensions persist about spending money during the pandemic, I believe this effort would be a big first step in preventing future violence for those in the community, while increasing safety for our police — even if it means cleaning up just one neighborhood right now.

As previously stated, the multiple abandoned buildings are attractive for crime, but we shouldn't overlook the buildings also putting public servants at increased risk of injury due to the structural integrity alone in some instances. At present, at least one-third of the properties have been formally condemned and serve no purpose other than being shelters for criminal activity.

I do acknowledge, too, that police work is an inherently dangerous profession and buying a handful of blighted properties with taxpayer money is no magic wand fix to our present problems. But while the arguments can be made that the localized violence could be remedied with an improved emphasis on education, family values or community programs, I still think it's important that the city do its part to protect the people who protect us.

To cite the cliché, doing something is better than doing nothing.

Safety and the quality of life have changed dramatically in previously high-crime, blight-heavy areas rebuilt after the 2011 tornado and the city can easily apply that same proven template to University Manor. If successful, these efforts could end up making the area more attractive to developers and even raise property values of those in the surrounding neighborhoods, so the multifaceted possibilities of investing money in revitalizing that part of the city far outweigh the short-term costs.

Expediency is also crucial in this process and, following two TPD officers being injured on Monday in what could have been a much-worse situation, I think we need to act swiftly and I hope our City Council will do so today. Especially considering these conversations took place before this recent shooting and will continue into the future, we will only have ourselves to blame if the problems are allowed to fester and University Manor becomes the next site of a heartbreaking tragedy.

Ryan Phillips is an award-winning journalist, editor and columnist. He is currently the community publisher of Tuscaloosa Patch and the views expressed in this opinion column are his and not necessarily reflective of the views of our parent company.