Blacks in Law Enforcement of America

Facts.

Many people have called Black law enforcement officers sellouts and c***s. I’ve heard it for 33 years.

Yes, there are officers who must be held accountable — absolutely. Accountability protects the badge and the community. No excuses there.

But let’s be honest. Some of the same people calling Black officers “working for the man” go to work every day for corporations that market poison to our neighborhoods, push destructive culture for profit, exploit Black consumers, exploit Black women, and promote an ungodly culture that has influenced many of our Black youth to end up in custody. They cash those checks without hesitation — but somehow the Black officer trying to protect his community is the sellout?

That’s not logic. That’s emotion.

And even more troubling — in parts of our culture, the drug dealer and the pimp get celebrated as heroes. The man flooding the block with drugs gets respect. The man exploiting women gets admiration. The hustler gets glorified in music and on social media.

But the Black man who puts on a uniform and tries to keep children safe? He’s the c**n?

We have to be honest about the contradictions.

For many of us, the badge wasn’t about betrayal — it was about protection.

In my 33 years in law enforcement, I’ve mentored and fathered three generations of Black young men who didn’t have guidance. I’ve stood as an example to Black women whose lives have been shattered by sexual abuse — by men and by women. I’ve de-escalated situations that could have ended in tragedy. I’ve used discretion when it mattered most.

And yes — I’ve also seen too many Black men and women inside the jails. I’ve talked to them. I’ve listened to their stories. I’ve tried to reach them before the system swallowed them whole.

That doesn’t make me perfect. It makes me present.

We can demand accountability without erasing the Black men and women who serve with integrity — even while confronting the painful realities within our own community.

Some of us didn’t join to police our people.
We joined to protect them.

And that deserves honesty — not slogans.

In this video is what you don’t see.
What the protest profiteers don’t want you to see.

Most people in Westchester have driven past the Norwood E. Jackson Correctional Center.
But many don’t know why his name is there.
Before conversations about diversity, representation, and firsts became common in government, there was a man who proved something far more important — competence earns respect. Norwood E. Jackson didn’t just hold a position. He demonstrated that a Black man could lead one of the county’s most difficult public safety institutions with discipline, faith, integrity, and authority.
For those of us who worked under that era, his leadership changed how we saw the job, ourselves, and what was possible. He expected excellence from officers and expected the men housed there to leave better than they came in. He didn’t just manage a system — he set a standard.
This piece isn’t about nostalgia.
It’s about understanding why some names are placed on buildings — and why they stay there.

Press Conference in Support of Officer Derek A. Williams

Law enforcement leaders, retired officers, and community advocates gathered in Mount Vernon for a press conference in support of Officer Derek A. Williams, a 19-year veteran of the Mount Vernon Police Department who is fighting for his life — and for the line-of-duty protections guaranteed under New York law.

Officer Williams contracted COVID-19 in March 2020 while serving on the front lines during the pandemic. His illness later progressed into end-stage kidney failure, requiring dialysis seven days a week. Despite state and federal protections for first responders, the City of Mount Vernon has not formally adjudicated his case under General Municipal Law §207-c, a statute that provides full salary and medical benefits for officers injured or made ill in the line of duty.

At this press conference, speakers addressed:
• The City’s failure to conduct a required §207-c hearing
• The denial of light-duty accommodation
• The lack of FMLA notification and job protection
• The risk of Officer Williams losing life-sustaining healthcare
• Broader concerns about unequal application of officer protections

Damon K. Jones, New York Representative of Blacks in Law Enforcement of America (BLEA), outlined the legal and procedural failures detailed in a formal letter to the Mount Vernon City Council.
Mike Hannon, retired White Plains police officer and BLEA Westchester County Representative, raised concerns about long-standing disparities in how §207-c is applied, stating that it “was never a problem until Black officers tried to utilize it.”

Active and retired law enforcement officers from across New York State stood in solidarity with Officer Williams, warning that this case has implications far beyond Mount Vernon and could impact how first responders are treated statewide after COVID-related injuries.

This press conference is a call for accountability, equal application of the law, and immediate action to protect a public servant whose life depends on continued medical care.

📣 This is not politics. This is about the law — and a man’s life.

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