VALDOSTA — Local civil rights activists and citizens made it clear Thursday night of their experiences with certain officers from the Valdosta Police Department who profiled citizens based on the color of their skin.

A local pastor and business owner named Jimmy Boyd shared a story of a search that was performed by undercover drug agents a few weeks ago.

Boyd said he was driving his wife’s vehicle and was pulled over and asked for consent to search the vehicle. Boyd stated that he pleaded with the officer by telling that “he was on their side” and “helped over 100 drug dealers turn away from a life of drugs.” Ultimately, police did not find any contraband, but Boyd said he had “never been so humiliated in his whole life.”

Local president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Floyd Rose stated that this was the first time city manager Larry Hanson had not responded to an Open Records request. He also pointed out that no other council member except Joseph “Sonny” Vickers (District 3) had returned his phone calls.

“People who don’t live on the reservation always have reservations about the people who do,” said Rose in response to earlier comments made by District 6 council member Robert Yost. “Most of the officers in this town are kind and respectful. There are apples that are rotten and need to be removed. Police officers in that barrel have not only lied on me, they have lied to me.”

President of the local chapter of the Valdosta-Lowndes County NAACP Leigh Touchton discussed how young black males were being profiled for wearing backpacks, while her daughter, who is white, has never had such a problem.

Ronnie Pierce stated he was speaking on his own behalf and not his company, talked about two different encounters with police officers.

His first encounter occurred after being pulled over for throwing a cigarette butt outside of his vehicle’s window. The second encounter was for an unacknowledged violation.

Pierce stated that in the first encounter he was called, “Boy” and in the second incident he was referred to as, “Sir.”

“There are a lot of perceptions in the black community concerning these police officers, some true and some false,” said Pierce.

Council members also unanimously approved a request from Moody Air Force Base to allow for the relocation of the F-86 aircraft located at the corner of Ashley Street and Woodrow Wilson Drive to the new Moody Air Force Base Airpark.

In an interview with the Valdosta Daily Times before the meeting, Col. Mark A. Ruse, commander of the 23rd Mission Support Group at Moody Air Force Base stated that there had been discussions initially about replacing the F-86 with an F-4, but that their overall desire was to “honor the family's wishes of keeping the memorial for their father.”

Ruse also said the removal of the airplane would not cause the general public to forget the importance of Moody Air Force Base in the community.

“I think it’s a higher and better honor for the F-86 to be with its counterparts,” said District 2 council member Deidra White in an interview with the Times prior to the meeting. “It is my understanding and belief that this was Moody’s idea and I do not believe the City had anything to do with having the plane moved. The city only served to support the wishes of Moody.”

She said there were no plans to remove the plane for South Georgia Medical Center to expand in that location or to widen Woodrow Wilson Drive.

During the council members comment portion of the meeting, Yost said it was his turn to be editor of the Times.

“It may be time for the editorial board to step aside,” said Yost.

“That’s your opinion,” reminded Vickers.

“That’s my opinion as the editor,” responded Yost.

Council members also approved the following items:

• A consideration to rezone a 0.18 acre property located at 1309 Melody Lane from Single-Family Residential to Residential-Professional.

• A consideration to annex three different segments of the public right-of-way into the City Limits including portions of Inner Perimeter, Brookfield Road and Bemiss Road. Private property will not be affected, only right-of-way portions of the roads.

• Amendments to the Land Development Regulations. City Planning and Zoning Administrator said some of the changes would prevent confusion between the LDR and the Comprehensive Standards and Specifications Manual for the Utilities Department, which was also reviewed at the work session.

• A consideration of a resolution and Grant Agreement to contract with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for a Historic Preservation Fund Grant to allow Historic Preservation Commission members the ability to attend a required training workshop. The match will be strictly in-kind services and will not require any budgetary outlay of funds.

• A consideration to approve a Comprehensive Standards and Specifications Manual for the Utilities Department. Utilities Director Henry Hicks said it was developed with other contractors and would mainly impact developments for the city, not for private business. If a company was building an underground infrastructure that would eventually be handed over to the city government, this document would provide specifications for design. Hicks said there was not a document available and that if approved, it would be open for future changes as needed.

• A request to approve sponsorship of a table at the Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner. District 1 council member James Wright was not present for the vote and At-large council member Ben Norton voted against the sponsorship.

• Celine Gladwin, Dr. Richard T. Seager and James E. Douglas, Jr., were appointed to serve on the Historic Preservation Commission.

• Charles White was appointed to serve on the Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority. He will be filling Yost’s unexpired term.

• Robert Yost and Burke Sherwood were appointed to serve on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Land Bank Authority.

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