DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Virginia Harper NAACP Correspondence, 1971-1996 | 1996-04-04 Virginia Harper to Mayor Wright and Members of the City Council

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Virginia Harper NAACP Correspondence, 1971-1996

1996-04-04 Virginia Harper to Mayor Wright and Members of the City Council

Fort Madison Branch 
OF THE
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
P.O. Box 362 Fort Madison, Iowa 52627

MAYOR WRIGHT AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
8TH STREET AND AVENUE E
FORT MADISON CITY HALL
FORT MADISON, IOWA 52627

DEAR SIRS:

THIS IS BEING WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO COMMENTS WHICH WERE MADE AT THE COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 2ND, IN ANSWERING OUR QUESTION. WE DID THANK YOU FOR THE ACTION WHICH HAD BEEN TAKEN, TO THIS POINT. WE, HOWEVER, DID NOT MENTION THE NAME OF JERRY KOERBER. OUR CONCERNS HAD GONE BEYOND HIS REMOVAL.

WE ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY INTENTION TO CLARIFY, FOR THE PUBLIC,THE CONCERNS WHICH HAD BEEN RAISED BY SGT. LOZANO. WE WERE TOLD HIS CONCERNS WERE TIED INTO THE SEVERANCE AGREEMENT AND COULD NOT BE DISCUSSED. SINCE THE REPORTER CHOSE NOT TO PUT THAT IN HER “STORY”, IT IS STILL A SECRET. THEREFORE, WE WERE AND STILL ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEBRIS WHICH MIGHT REMAIN TO CLOUD THE EFFECTIVE REHABILITATION OF A DEPARTMENT THAT WAS IN DISARRAY.

IF YOU REMEMBER, OUR STATEMENT WENT BEYOND THE ISSUE OF THE CHIEF AND THE DEPARTMENT AND INVOLVED THE FOCUS AND MISSION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS SPEAKS TO THERE BEING AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH ENCOURAGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRACTICES WHICH CAN ONLY BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, ALLOWING FOR POSITIVE GROWTH IN THIS DEPARTMENT.

GENTLEMEN, YOU WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY. THE CITY MANAGER IS HIRED BY THE SITTING COUNCIL AND, AS SUCH, ANSWERS TO THEM. IT IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUR CONTENTION THAT YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TONE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE SHALL COME FORWARD FROM TIME TO TIME AND PUBLICLY SPEAK TO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE OF CONCERN, TO US. WE HAVE MADE APPOINTMENTS WITH CITY MANAGERS AND MAYORS WHEN WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO DO SO. THE FORT MADISON BRANCH OF THE NAACP WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO THE CALLS FROM PEOPLE WITH CONCERNS.

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE TO OUR STATEMENTS, SO FAR.

SINCERELY,

VIRGINIA HARPER
PRESIDENT – FORT MADISON BRANCH  NAACP

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Fort Madison Branch OF THE National Association for the Advancement of Colored People P.O. Box 362 Fort Madison, Iowa 52627 MAYOR WRIGHT AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL 8TH STREET AND AVENUE E FORT MADISON CITY HALL FORT MADISON, IOWA 52627 DEAR SIRS: THIS IS BEING WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO COMMENTS WHICH WERE MADE AT THE COUNCIL MEETING OF APRIL 2ND, IN ANSWERING OUR QUESTION. WE DID THANK YOU FOR THE ACTION WHICH HAD BEEN TAKEN, TO THIS POINT. WE, HOWEVER, DID NOT MENTION THE NAME OF JERRY KOERBER. OUR CONCERNS HAD GONE BEYOND HIS REMOVAL. WE ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY INTENTION TO CLARIFY, FOR THE PUBLIC,THE CONCERNS WHICH HAD BEEN RAISED BY SGT. LOZANO. WE WERE TOLD HIS CONCERNS WERE TIED INTO THE SEVERANCE AGREEMENT AND COULD NOT BE DISCUSSED. SINCE THE REPORTER CHOSE NOT TO PUT THAT IN HER “STORY”, IT IS STILL A SECRET. THEREFORE, WE WERE AND STILL ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEBRIS WHICH MIGHT REMAIN TO CLOUD THE EFFECTIVE REHABILITATION OF A DEPARTMENT THAT WAS IN DISARRAY. IF YOU REMEMBER, OUR STATEMENT WENT BEYOND THE ISSUE OF THE CHIEF AND THE DEPARTMENT AND INVOLVED THE FOCUS AND MISSION OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS SPEAKS TO THERE BEING AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH ENCOURAGES THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRACTICES WHICH CAN ONLY BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY, ALLOWING FOR POSITIVE GROWTH IN THIS DEPARTMENT. GENTLEMEN, YOU WERE ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY. THE CITY MANAGER IS HIRED BY THE SITTING COUNCIL AND, AS SUCH, ANSWERS TO THEM. IT IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE OUR CONTENTION THAT YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TONE OF THE INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT, IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE SHALL COME FORWARD FROM TIME TO TIME AND PUBLICLY SPEAK TO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE OF CONCERN, TO US. WE HAVE MADE APPOINTMENTS WITH CITY MANAGERS AND MAYORS WHEN WE FELT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO DO SO. THE FORT MADISON BRANCH OF THE NAACP WILL CONTINUE TO RESPOND TO THE CALLS FROM PEOPLE WITH CONCERNS. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE TO OUR STATEMENTS, SO FAR. SINCERELY, VIRGINIA HARPER PRESIDENT – FORT MADISON BRANCH NAACP