![](https://jlusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/456242566_1747309482343412_1847917803033294586_n-e1724706302903-720x480.jpg)
“‘Whether you’re a businessman or you’re selling drugs, it makes no difference. If you’re a black person in Trenton and drive through this community, you can be harassed by Trenton police,’ Tracey Syphax [Leading with Conviction™ 2019] said.
“Syphax spoke during a recent Capital City Community Coalition meeting inside a Friendship Baptist Church where the Department of Justice offered insight about an investigation into potential violation of residents civil rights by the City of Trenton and the Trenton Police Department.
“Junis L. Baldon, an assistant U.S. attorney in the Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, explained the probe will investigate a five-year window of city law enforcement policies and police behavior. …
This has been going on for decades.
“‘You talk about only going back to 2017 for what the Trenton Police Department has done. I think when one looks at the systemic foundation of racism, brutality and corruption at the police department, you understand this has been going on for decades,’ Syphax, who waved off anecdotal stories and grapevine tales, said.
“‘I’m not talking about I heard about these things. I’m talking about my experience as a former drug dealer, of having drugs planted on me, being handcuffed and being beat in the back of the head with a shotgun — that’s the Trenton Police Department.’
“Syphax said his change of status from drug dealer to business entrepreneur has done little to alter the dynamic between himself and police. …
“‘To be a businessman for 30 years and still connected to the Martin Luther King Boulevard community, and still being cussed out and treated like a dog when I’m not even in the game anymore — that’s the Trenton Police Department,’ Syphax testified. …
“In August 2020, The Trentonian published an article regarding a document that identified about 30 city police officers who faced disciplinary action over the last nine years. More than half of the cases involved allegations of serious misconduct, including criminal excessive force, falsifying records in a criminal case, dangerous unauthorized car chases, and incendiary social media posts. …
“Syphax, like many Trenton residents, seemed skeptical about five years delivering enough evidence to accurately portray his personal interactions with the Trenton Police Department.”
Read the full article at Trentonian.com.
(Photo above by John Berry for The Trentonian)
In our 10th anniversary year, JustLeadershipUSA’s work of educating, elevating, and empowering justice-impacted leaders continues and is growing even stronger!
We are preparing for our very special 10th anniversary gala in New York City on October 21st, and we would love for you to be there with us.
This is going to be a very special time to look back on the past decade of JLUSA’s important work, the 1,600+ leaders we have helped get to the next level in their work, and even more importantly, we will look ahead to the next 10 years and beyond!
We can’t do this without you. We need your support to help us continue to do this work now and into the future. By purchasing a $50 streaming ticket, you are saying to the amazing leaders in our network who represent the 70+ million Americans who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system, “I see you, and I support you!”
Please plan now to join us in person or give a one-time $100 gift or set up a recurring $10 monthly donation to celebrate JLUSA’s 10th anniversary year, and together we will build a fair and just U.S. Thank you!
Mail that includes checks only:
JUSTLEADERSHIPUSA, INC
P.O. Box 23681
New York, NY 10087-3681
All other mail:
P.O. Box 1730, New York, NY 10037
347.454.2195
© 2024 JustLeadershipUSA. All Rights Reserved.
JustLeadershipUSA is a non-partisan organization. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed belong solely to the individual author or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the organization.