Mayor Tab Bowling, in two meetings this week with the widow of Steve Perkins, grassroots activist group Standing in Power and other Black leaders, offered to step down from his position a year early in exchange for an end to protests outside his home and comments about his performance at council meetings.

Steve Perkins was shot and killed by a Decatur police officer on Sept. 29. Since then, supporters have railed against Bowling for what they see as his failure to lead the city on a path toward healing. A key part of that path, for the “Justice for Steve Perkins Movement,” is the removal of police Chief Todd Pinion.

Pinion has enjoyed and still enjoys the support of Bowling, despite numerous allegations of poor police leadership and officer misconduct since September, and critics of the department have continuously made their displeasure known at council meetings. Four months after Perkins was killed, Bowling began leaving, and continues to leave, council meetings at the start of public comment.

The Decatur Daily acquired audio recordings of meetings held Monday and Wednesday this week between Bowling, Catrela Perkins, Standing in Power, Mike Stovall, Tommy Cook, Morgan County NAACP President Rodney Gordon, and others. City Attorney Herman Marks was also present.

The Wednesday meeting devolved over an impasse concerning Pinion; however, a third meeting was still scheduled for Friday at the time of publication.

“Y’all have been asking for a couple of resignations, including mine,” Bowling said Monday in the recording. “Over the weekend, after some thought — talking with friends of mine and such — I shared with Michael this morning that if the protests at our home would stop, and if the public comment would stop, that the first week of January … I will step down.”

After being contacted on Thursday, Bowling issued a statement to The Decatur Daily acknowledging the meetings.

“As Mayor, I believe that in a position of of leadership, one must listen to all citizens, even those they may have disagreements with. I readily admit that I could have done better at times in this role, but I promise, I have always tried to hold the city’s best interests at the forefront,” the statement reads.

Bowling explained in the audio recording of Monday’s meeting that the council president would automatically become the mayor after he steps down, and the council would then appoint someone to fill the new vacancy. As it stands, this means that Council President Jacob Ladner would become mayor, unless the council votes to elect a new president in the interim. In the meeting, Bowling said he discussed it that day with Ladner.

On Thursday, Ladner confirmed that he was generally aware of the negotiations.

“That’s the mayor’s decision to make,” he said. He declined further comment.

At Monday’s meeting, Perkins supporters told Bowling that they’ve always wanted accountability and transparency.

“It’s almost a year later, and you all want to sit down and negotiate,” said Aneesah Saafiyah, cofounder of Standing in Power, in the audio recording. “And you’re asking us to find a way to silence people when all we’ve ever had is protesting and public comment. Not one time have we been violent. You all have tried to antagonize us and instigate it.”

Saafiyah asked why Bowling chose January as a potential resignation date.

“That would give everyone some time to show that they’re going to hold true to their commitment,” Bowling said. “This is a give-give opportunity here. I’m giving up something, and I’m asking y’all to give up something. It’s a request, it’s not a demand. It’s a win-win.”

Bowling said he also discussed the proposal with funeral home director Dexter Elliott and Pastor Claudette Owens. No other members of the Perkins family were consulted.

“There are too many secret meetings in Decatur surrounding this issue,” said Nick Perkins, Steve Perkins’ brother. “And that’s the one thing citizens have been complaining about. There’s no transparency.

“Why aren’t you being transparent now? Why are you continuing on that path? Let’s just go ahead and say, ‘Hey, I handled this wrong, I apologize, and for this — what I will do to rectify the situation — is remove myself and let somebody else come in and handle the job that I’m supposed to do. And that should involve the Perkins family. All of them.”

Nick Perkins said he thinks the so-called “negotiations” are simply a ploy to pacify protesters and spare Bowling further embarrassment.

“He hasn’t handled the last year well,” he said. “The city could have been in a much better place had he taken his opportunity to actually step up and be a leader, but that hasn’t happened.”

Bowling told those demanding Pinion’s resignation at the Monday meeting that he “can’t just walk around and start firing people.”

Gordon, who supported Bowling in his bid for mayor, said he thought Bowling would “do the right thing” after September.

“You let me down,” he said. “But you not only let me down, you let the people down. And you let a lot of people down. You just don’t know how many people really love you, especially in our community.” — Wednesday

At Wednesday’s meeting, Bowling said he would be open to resigning on Nov. 4, which would mark eight years of service.

“I think I can be comfortable with that, helping to try and bring a more peaceful environment to our city,” he said.

Stovall said Perkins supporters wanted a public apology from Bowling, a public statement about his resignation, the dismissal of Pinion, the dismissal of all charges (mostly disorderly conduct) against Perkins protesters, and a recommendation to the Personnel Board to remove Human Resources Director Richelle Sandlin.

“Help me on the public apology,” Bowling said. “What am I apologizing for?”

Cook said Bowling neglected his mayoral duties after September. Danny Saafiyah, Standing in Power’s strategy adviser, suggested Bowling could state that there are things he could have done better and things he wished he might have handled differently.

“What I had envisioned as far as a public statement would be a joint public statement,” said Bowling. “So, it would be us — probably not as large a group as this — but you pick your three, let’s say, and then me. And we would issue a joint public statement. I would want to do the public statement next week.”

Bowling said he didn’t have a reason to terminate Pinion or recommend Sandlin’s removal. He also said he couldn’t dismiss the charges against protesters. Several speakers pointed out the alleged misconduct of such officers as Jack Brown, accused of punching a protester in the face, and since-retired Lt. Joe Renshaw who they say instigated discord at April’s 3rd Friday event. Three protesters were arrested there, and the city dropped the charges against them Tuesday.

“If he’s reprimanding his officers, how is it that his officers are still acting reckless?” asked Cook. “That’s when you step in and say, ‘Since you cannot control your police department, I’m going to remove you.’”

Bowling said he couldn’t discuss personnel matters and said they had a difference of opinion about Pinion’s performance.

“I think you’re going to find out when Green and Associates (Green Research & Technology) finishes their investigation, it’s not what you think,” Bowling said. Proposed by Ladner, the council voted for Green to conduct a third-party review of the Decatur Police Department in July. It’s scheduled to be completed by Jan. 1. “You don’t know how hard this guy (Pinion) is working. And the things that he’s trying to do and the things that he has done. You don’t.”

Gordon asked about pay raises, and Bowling said he recently gave Pinion a raise. The Daily reached out to Sandlin on Thursday for details about any raise but received no response.

Meeting attendees also said nothing has changed within Decatur PD since Perkins was killed. They pointed out that none of their citizen complaints were apparently escalated beyond the Police Department, in stark contrast to recent disciplinary hearings for two Decatur Fire & Rescue lieutenants.

“We feel like you think that nothing is wrong,” Cook said. “And we’re telling you everything that has happened and what is wrong. We’ve given you examples of other cities who’ve had to remove their chief for less than the things that Todd (Pinion) has done, and you still don’t see it. Therefore, you don’t see us.”

The meeting ended without the parties coming to an agreement.

In the statement he issued to The Daily on Thursday, Bowling said, “Together, we continue to try and heal, and I believe that we have a bright future. The ongoing conversations will continue to be about how we improve our city for all citizens. I have prayed and sought advice from many. Please continue to pray for our city.”

Sitting next to her husband Nick on Thursday, Angela Perkins said that while they encourage any groups to pressure city leadership to do what’s right, Bowling should speak directly to the community at large about what his plans are.

“The expectation is that you let us all know, because you are held accountable by all of us, every single one of us,” she said. “And the expectation is for you to do what’s right and not try to make things go your way or be beneficial to you. At this point, everything’s been beneficial to you, so now it’s time for you to sacrifice. Because we’ve sacrificed for long enough.”

Nick Perkins said he thinks it’s time for Decatur to get a “facelift.”

“I think it’s time that they get some people in office who will actually do what they’re going to say and be the example that they want the rest of the city to follow,” he said.

— [email protected] or 256-340-2438.

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