Springfield, IL  (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – More than 20 speakers took to the microphone during a listening session held at the Union Baptist Church Monday night to voice their mistrust of police and experiences with racism. The Massey Commission, formed in honor of Sonya Massey, who was killed in her home by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy, hosted the event.

Attendees also expressed their hopes and concerns through hand-written notes taped to the church walls. Some of the purple and yellow notes highlighted desires for transparency and to build a better community as well as concerns about favoritism, justice and accountability.

The session featured an interactive poll where attendees used their phones to vote on commission priorities. The results revealed that the top priority was law enforcement hiring and training, followed by addressing systemic racism and community mistrust.

Joann Johnson, a retired Illinois State Police trooper with nearly 30 years of service, recounted her experiences of bias while working undercover. She described instances where she was treated harshly by officers who were unaware of her law enforcement status.

Johnson, who said she provides bias training to police departments, emphasized that bias is present not only in law enforcement but across various professions. She is one of the 204 individuals who applied to be part of the Massey Commission.

Union Baptist Church Pastor T. Ray McJunkins, one of the commission’s co-chairs, said they had hoped to announce the 15 appointees chosen for the commission at the listening session. However, they are still waiting for responses from a few finalists and expect to make an announcement by the end of the week. McJunkins confirmed that a member of the Massey family will be included.

Ken Pacha applied to be on the commission. He spoke at the listening session and said it’s important for those appointed to the commission to know what it’s like to be attacked by the police. He asked how many of those chosen for the commission will have had experience with handcuffs being placed on their wrists? Pacha said they can’t be people who just “sat in a classroom and learned about it. It’s gotta be people that have seen the look in the officers’ faces when they look at us like we’re nobody.”

Following public comments, Commission Co-Chair and Dean of SIU School of Medicine, Jerry Kruse, acknowledged the pain and frustration expressed by the community. He stated the need for police reform was a clear message that emerged from the session.

When the Massey Commission was conceived, three co-chairs were appointed and included Kruse, McJunkins and Nina Harris, chair of the Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion. During Monday’s listening session, Kruse announced that Harris, who was involved in reviewing the applicants, would not continue on as a co-chair. He clarified that move was Harris’ original intent and only planned to be involved in the initial phase of the process.

Another speaker, Breonna Roberts, raised concerns about decisions to hire public relations and consulting firms before commission members were appointed. Roberts also stated her concerns about alleged prior sexual misconduct accusations against McJunkins. When asked about these allegations, McJunkins had no comment when asked about the allegations.