The announcement that Durham Police Chief José Lopez is being forced into retirement, while a clear response to community pressure, will not be enough to address the broken trust between the Durham Police Department and the community. To be sure, it was a step in the right direction.

Far from inspiring community confidence in public safety, Lopez’s leadership had become symbolic of racially biased and overly militarized policing that was clearly inconsistent with what most Durham residents want. Lopez’s often defensive and abrasive tone in public comments make him an easy scapegoat for the city’s law enforcement problem. Nevertheless, his exit is no cure-all for still rampant racial profiling by Durham police.

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