RICHMOND, Va. -- After Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith sat down with reporters for one-on-one interviews to talk about an alleged July 4th mass shooting plot he claims officers stopped, city residents and a council member spoke with CBS 6 about their reactions to his remarks.
Two former co-chairs of the Civilian Review Board Task Force, who led efforts to present the council with standards for a body of citizens to provide oversight of police misconduct, gave credit to Chief Smith for speaking with members of the press.
“I think it’s good there was at least a conversation restarted," said Eli Coston.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction," said Angela Fontaine.
A city official who heads communications for all government agencies offered CBS 6 an opportunity to speak directly with the chief Tuesday afternoon. The media availability followed mounting pressure from community members, neighborhood leaders, some council members, and lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Tim Kaine and U.S. Congressman Donald McEachin, calling for more transparency surrounding Smith's claims.
The interview was also a reversal from Smith telling reporters he was "closing all discussion" on the matter one week prior.
“That is the entire premise of police accountability and transparency -- is when it's not done the way that we understand, we want more accountability. And Chief Smith gave that to you even though we might not have gotten the answers we wanted," Fontaine said.
The chief told CBS 6 he was "frustrated" that people responded with skepticism about the alleged plot because it took the focus off praising officers and "overlooks the incredible win that the city of Richmond has."
“I don't think that frustration is the thing that our public officials should be feeling when they're asked to be accountable by community members," Coston said.
Fontaine echoed the sentiment saying, "The way that the public reacts is the way the public is going to react, and that's who you're accountable to."
The community's concerns weren't without cause.
Smith initially named Dogwood Dell as the target of the apparent threat, which he now regrets saying, but prosecutors had no evidence of a specific location. Additionally, officers working the event weren't notified of a possible attack, surrounding law enforcement agencies weren't notified and the two accused men don't face serious charges related to planning a mass shooting.
“Where’s the evidence this was a mass shooting plot," Coston asked.
"You should have solid evidence anytime you're going to pin something so serious or try to bring charges on a person that's so serious," Fontaine said.
At this point, the evidence police have provided includes multiple guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition belonging to one suspect that was seized from his home. The tip alerting officers of a mass shooting plan and investigative reports have not been released.
Chief Smith said he believed it's likely the evidence will come out in federal court as the case plays out, but it hasn't been referenced in any federal court documents thus far. CBS 6 asked Smith Tuesday if he can commit to making the evidence public if it's never revealed by prosecutors.
“I cannot," he responded.
The chief also blamed communication failures within the police department for distributing premature information during the July 6 press conference, especially when it comes to Dogwood Dell. Smith promised to fix communication strategies as it pertains to crisis situations and day-to-day management.
“I would like to know specifically what the improvements need to be from their perspective," Fontaine said. "What does that mean?"
“There needs to be a clear strategy moving forward for the public that says, here's how we'll distribute that information. Here's how it will be vetted in advance," Coston said.
Council Member Kristen Nye agreed that transparency standards for the city could be strengthened overall, not just with the community, but among government officials.
“Obviously, we need to work externally on our communication. Just make sure we're clear, make sure more folks are available to answer questions and provide clarity," Nye said. "But I also think internally, the information is not being exchanged as quickly and in the way that it should be. I really need more details and information more quickly as a council member."
Five council members and Mayor Levar Stoney stood next to the Chief on July 6 during the news conference about the alleged mass shooting plot. Nye said every council member was invited, but she was unable to attend that day.
"The information that we got before the press conference was pretty high level limited-- that there was a possible mass shooting that our officers had investigated and made arrests, and that this press conference was there to share information about it," Nye said.
Since then, Nye said she and her colleagues have requested to be briefed by police about the investigation. She said the private briefing is now scheduled for September 5, which would be almost two months after the fact.
"If we have something of this magnitude, I'd like more information sooner," Nye said.
The 4th District Councilor said she appreciated Chief Smith doing interviews with the press as "the media is our [the city's] vehicle to get information out to the public." Next, she encourages police to directly connect with neighbors who said they were panicked by the news.
“I also think it's really important that our folks from RPD get out there and really touch base with the neighbors in and around Dogwood Dell so they can have their questions answered."
Mayor Stoney's Office provided the following statement to CBS 6 when asked about communication standards:
“The Mayor believes there is always room for improvement, particularly in communications. Nonetheless, the Mayor stands behind the Chief and the men and women of the Richmond Police Department who kept, and keep, our community safe.”
