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From YouTube: Lights On! Press Conference
Description
Chief David Zack, Asheville Police Department, hosts a press conference July 7, 2022, to announce Lights On!, a new initiative aimed at building goodwill between the community and the Asheville Police Department. Police officers can hand out vouchers worth up to $250 during some traffic stops to motorists who have defective lighting instead of writing a citation.
Joining Chief Zack to announce the program were Sherman Patterson, Vice President, Lights On!, Sheneika Smith, Vice Mayor, City of Asheville, and Marcus Kirkman, Equity and Inclusion Consultant, City of Asheville.
Asheville is the first city in the state of North Carolina to partner with “Lights On!”
0:00 Bill Davis, Public Information Officer, Asheville Police Department
2:05 Chief David Zack, Asheville Police Department
4:25 Sherman Patterson, Vice President, Lights On!
7:28 Sheneika Smith, Vice Mayor, City of Asheville
10:14 Marcus Kirkman, Equity and Inclusion Consultant, City of Asheville
12:48 Questions & Answers
19:42 Wrap up
A
A
Through
the
lights
on
program,
officers
could
hand
out
vouchers
during
some
traffic
stops
to
motorists
who
have
defective
lighting.
Instead
of
just
writing
a
citation.
The
voucher
provides
up
to
250
dollars
to
the
operator
of
the
vehicle
to
get
their
equipment
fixed
at
participating,
auto
repair
shops.
Such
repairs
could
be
broken,
tail
lights,
turn
signals
or
headlight
and
can
often
cause
a
financial
burden
on
those
drivers
having
to
choose
between
making
that
repair
and
maybe
buying
groceries
for
their
families.
A
B
A
huge
thank
you
must
also
go
out
to
marcus
kirkman
from
our
equity
and
inclusion
department
without
marcus's
help.
This
idea
never
would
have
got
to
the
finish
line.
He
has
been
instrumental
in
seeing
this
program
through
we're
awful
busy
at
the
asheville
police
department.
There's
a
lot
going
on
and
I
really
needed
assistance
in
getting
this
going
and
when
marcus
came
to
asheville.
I
think
that
this
was
the
first
thing
we
discussed
and
he
just
worked
diligently
and
got
us
to
the
finish
line
on
this
project.
B
And
last
but
not
least,
we
need
to
thank
tom,
warwick,
owner
of
jack
smith's
transmission
and
automotive
automotive
service
for
agreeing
to
partner
with
apd
and
lights
on.
We
needed
our
business
community
to
step
up,
and
mr
warwick
did
just
that.
So
with
that
I'd
like
to
introduce
mr
sherman
patterson
program
director
for
lights,
on
sherman.
C
Good
morning,
it's
great
to
be
here
in
asheville.
The
last
time
I
was
here
was
about
35
years
ago,
and
that
was
for
the
us
army.
We
had
a
conference
up
here.
This
december
will
be
20
years,
since
I've
been
retired.
Time
flies
chief
zach
assistant,
mayor
smith,
marcus.
We
couldn't
do
it
do
this
without
you
and
we
at
light
sign
and
from
minnesota.
We
are
very
excited
we're
nationwide.
Now
we
just
we
went
nationwide
about
15
months
ago.
C
C
The
communication
director
and
chief
said
a
lot
about
light
song,
but
I'm
just
gonna
cover
a
few
things
about
how
impactful
it
is.
It's
outcome
oriented
it's
transparent
and
it's
simple
and
we
we
really
base
that
base
lights
on
on
that,
because
we're
helping
our
community
and
everyone
is
in
this
community.
C
So
I'm
gonna,
put
on
my
cheaters
just
bear
with
me:
lyson
is
an
innovative
community
driven
program
that
partners
with
law
enforcement
and
auto
service
providers
to
replace
tickets
with
with
repair
vouchers
free
of
charge.
Imagine
that
mother
or
the
that
parent.
You
just
never
know
this
situation
when
they're
stopped
by
they
see
those
lights
and
they're
stopped.
The
anxiety
goes
up
for
that
individual,
the
individual,
the
motorist,
but
do
realize
the
anxiety
goes
up
for
our
law
enforcement
partners.
Also.
C
The
conversation
stocks,
it's
genuine
instead
of
people
pulling
out
cell
phones
and
saying
what
are
you
doing,
they're
asking
for
fist
pumps
and
they're
taking
pictures
with
them?
We
have
those
testimonials,
we
see
it.
We
see
it
nationwide
and
this
is
what's
this
has
changed
and
it
makes
a
difference
because
if
you
keep
poking
the
bear,
what
happens
the
bear
wakes
up
and
then
it
bites
you?
So
we
are
one
community
and
we're
moving
forward.
I
can
go
on
and
on
with
all
of
these
testimonies,
but
we
at
lights
on.
C
We
understand
that
we
don't
want
a
cancer
to
metastasize.
We
wanted
to
solve
that.
We
are
not
the
vr
solution,
but
we
are
another.
It's
a
tool
for
your
toolbox
for
your
officers
in
this
community
and
all
communities.
I've
experienced
it.
I've
seen
it
in
minneapolis.
I've
seen
it
in
minnesota.
I've
seen
it
in
other
communities
around
the
nation,
but
we
are
here.
We
are
here
to
stay
and
we
are
excited
that
ashfield.
North
carolina
is
the
first
in
north
carolina
to
bring
this
program
to
you.
C
D
D
There
was
a
lot
of
community
discussion
led
by
the
naacp
southern
coalition
for
social
justice
and
a
lot
of
local
activists
about
the
disparities
in
traffic
stops
from
those
discussions,
very
heated
debates
and
a
lot
of
back
and
forth
a
lot.
Some
demand
surfaced
the
call
for
consent
to
search
de-emphasize,
de-emphasizing
regulatory
stops
and
the
call
for
individual
officer
traffic
stop
data.
It
was
later
determined
that
if
an
officer
wants
to
search
a
motorist
but
does
not
have
reasonable
suspicion
or
probable
cause
to
believe
a
crime
has
been
committed,
the
officer
must
get
written
consent.
D
D
Council
then
gave
support
for
these
three
policies
and
authorize
the
work
to
be
put
in
place
for
these
policies
to
be
put
in
practice
in
the
name
of
social
justice,
racial
justice
and
to
help
improve
community
relations
between
officers
and
citizens.
Today
we
take
pleasure
and
being
a
part
of
this
and
being
at
the
forefront
of
this
next
reform.
D
This
community
is
overdue
for
this
type
of
innovation
and
this
type
of
planning,
and
I
would
like
to
extend
thank
you
to
chief
zach
for
coming
on
board
and
taking
action.
Thank
you,
sherman
for
all
that
you
have
done
in
your
community,
the
impact
it
has
has
on
our
nation
and
bringing
that
action
here.
D
E
E
E
These
vouchers
are
a
reminder
of
a
shared
humanity
of
the
impact
that
we
can
have
on
an
individual's
life
when
we
extend
kindness
and
thoughtfulness,
and
they
are
a
symbol
of
relationship
of
establishing
a
meaningful
relationship
with
our
community.
So
we
celebrate
this
moment.
We're
excited
about
it.
We
thank
you
all
for
everything
that
you
do
and
our
lights
on
here
in
asheville.
C
F
C
We
ask
that,
in
reference
to
the
14
days,
we
asked
at
the
police
department
they
track
it
through
their
cash
system,
because
when
the
vouchers
are
redeemed,
it
goes
to
the
auto
centers.
They
return
those
to
us
and
we
share
that
data
with
them.
How
much
I
redeem
and
how
many
are
handed
out,
because
you
want
data
to
measure
that
and
then
we
do
a
survey
also
that
and
that
our
survey
shows
from
a
monkey
survey
that
98.5
of
the
recipients.
C
They
were
very
satisfied
with
the
interaction
with
law
enforcement.
But
to
your
question
about
the
14
days.
The
motorist
has
to
be
accountable
and
responsible,
because
we
don't
want
someone
to
hold
on
to
a
voucher
for
two
three
or
four
months,
but
we
do
understand
that
it
may
take
maybe
20
days
or
whatever,
because
of
work
or
because
of
the
situations
and
that
comes
to
us
and
we
will
we
will.
C
We
will
acknowledge
that
voucher,
but
for
someone
to
bring
it
back
six
months
old
and
tell
the
officer
I
I
received
this
six
months
ago:
that's
not
going
to
work
because
you're,
taking
advantage
or
you're
neglecting
something.
That's
been
given
to
you
and
you
should
go
up
if
I
had
gotten
about
you,
I'm
running
to
that
place,
to
get
it
fixed
so
yeah,
that's
how
that
works.
F
B
Yeah,
I
mean
equipment
violations
are
a
daily
occurrence,
so
this
is
something
we
encounter
frequently
and,
of
course,
you
know,
one
of
our
primary
objectives
is
to
keep
our
roadways
safe.
So
you
know
that's
part
of
our
proactive
enforcement
effort.
It
is
something
that
we
do
every
single
day,
so
I
think
there
there's
a
possibility
for
this
program
to
be
very
impactful
in
improving
relations.
You
know
I
I
say
this
to
our
officers
all
the
time
I
can
stand
up
here.
I
can
put
any
program
in
place.
I
can
give
a
thousand
speeches.
B
If
the
encounter
on
the
street
every
day
is
not
a
positive
one,
and
we
stress
that
all
the
time
every
call
you
go
on
every
car,
stop
you
make
every
citizen
encounter,
you
have
whether
it's
just
taking
a
report
leaves
an
impact
and
that's
what's
most
important
is
those
daily
encounters
and
as
those
multiply,
the
community
perception
changes.
So
I
think
this
is
just
another
step
in
that
direction
and
in
that
central
theme
of
what
we're
trying
to
accomplish
here.
G
C
Wow
great
question:
we
see
this
as
ashrae
being
the
launch
via
being
at
the
forefront
of
the
leader
and
we're
looking
at
expanding
the
north
carolina.
As
I
said,
we
went
nationally
about
15
months
ago
and
now
we're
in
14
other
states,
and
we
look
to
cover
the
continental
united
states,
because
lyson
is
here
to
stay.
C
C
You
know
that
communication
then
there's
a
public
safety
issue,
because
if
you
have
a
blown
headlight
tail
light,
etc,
that
can
cause
severe
someone
can
get
hurt
or
even
kill,
but
they
need
at
the
same
time,
from
a
socio-economical
standpoint
we're
helping
those
who
really
need
to
get
that
fixed.
You
never
know
their
situation.
C
I'll,
give
you
one.
Last
one
example:
we
had
a
motorist
who
had
a
high-end
car
and
he
received
a
about
you
because
we're
not
biased
everyone
gets
about
about.
You
can
get
about.
You
it's
the
officer's,
call
it's
their
call,
but
this
individual
went
into
the
auto
center
and
presented
the
voucher
in
the
the
the
tech
said:
okay,
we'll
be
right
with
you
and
he
says
no
I'll
get
my
I'll
pay
to
get
my
light
fixed.
I
just
wanted
to
validate
to
see
if
this
program
was
real
and
he
said
this
is
amazing.
C
I'm
gonna
tell
all
of
my
my
friends
with
them
his
environment,
about
this
program,
so
that
tells
you
how
spreading
is
spreading
within
the
community
within
law
enforcement.
It's
a
win-win-win
for
everyone.
Why
would
you
not
want
to
do
this?
It's
hurting!
No
one
is
helping
people,
it's
helping
us
from
us,
economical
standpoint,
but
more
so
from
a
mental.
It's
a
healing,
it's
helping
to
heal,
and
we
need
that
right
now.
A
big
part
of
this
is
about
healing,
because
we
are,
we
are
one.
B
Thank
you.
Let
me
just
follow
up,
at
least
from
the
police
department
perspective
at
apd.
We're
not
we're
not
trying
to
be
first
in
anything.
What
we
want
to
be
is
the
best,
and
so
what
we're
constantly
doing
is
looking
for
what's
happening
across
the
country,
we're
looking
and
seeking
innovation,
whether
it's
in
program,
whether
it's
in
training,
whether
it's
in
leadership,
we
don't
want
to
be.
First,
we
want
to
be
the
best
so
bringing
lights
on.
It's
just
an
interesting
story.
A
Anything
else
with
that
we
thank
our
media
partners
for
being
here.
We
thank
mr
kirkman
vice
mayor
chief
zach,
mr
patterson,
for
this
lights
on
program.
We
do
have
some
administrative.
We
have
some
b-roll
of
jack
smith's
automotive,
we'll
be
sending
you
as
a
link
to
that.
So
you
can
have
some
of
the
b-roll
understand
they're
closed
this
week,
but
mr
dan,
here
from
the
city
of
asheville,
has
provided
we'll
give
you
that
link
as
well
again
without
further
ado.
If
you
need
some
one-on-ones,
the
that's
into
the
press
conference.