Last week, Photography Is Not A Crime reached out to Chief Matthew Cox in an attempt to get a copy of the full conversation. Our request was forwarded to Eastboroughs Mayor Danny Wallace.
Wallace responded stating that they do not have a copy of the recording and are working with community leadership and with Wichita City Council to get a copy of the call.
“At this time we do not have possession of the original recording by the young lady, and I am working with community leadership and with Wichita City Council to help facilitate a transfer of that file to an outside agency for review, and continued investigation. Racial bias is NOT tolerated by me or by the City of Eastborough, I have been extremely clear about that from the time I have taken office. I want the truth in this matter and for the young woman to be accommodated for any wrong doing, at all. Race or otherwise.”
An African-American woman in Wichita, Kansas called the City of Eastborough Police Department inquiring about a speeding ticket one of her friends, Dominique Robinson, had from a few years ago.
When the conversation ended, the officer thought he apparently he had hung up but Robinson’s friend was still on the other line hearing what the officers were saying.
A total of four clips were recorded on Snapchat. The clips have been combined into a 30-second video. One of the clips shows the number 316-682-4111 which is the number for the Eastborough Police Department.
Within the first five seconds of the 30 second video, an officer can be heard mocking the Robinson’s hair.
“This f—— n—–. Did you see her hair? Did you see my [inaudible]? What’s up with the hair?,” officers can be heard saying.
The officers then proceeded to compare Robinson’s picture to a homeless person on the street.
“[Inaudible] said it looks like when you [inaudible] the homeless guy off the street,” one of the officer says, which is followed by laughter.
Meko Haze who runs The Daily Haze lives in Wichita and said Eastborough’s mayor, John Johnson, confirmed it was real.
According to The Daily Haze:
“Eastborough is oddly located east of the center of Wichita. Development of Eastborough began in 1929 and according to the 2010 census there are 773 people, 306 households, and 223 families. Eastborough has become known to residents of Wichita as a “speed trap” due to a speed reduction of 43% and its location between the center of town and a major shopping center. The speed limit in Eastborough is 20 mph compared to the surrounding Wichita speed limit being 35 mph.”
Eastborough Police Chief Matthew Cox said in 2015 that the reason behind the 20 mph speed limit is not set up to be a speed trap, but for the safety of pedestrians.
According to The Wichita Eagle:
“A lot of people question our 20 mph speed limit, and the main reason is because we have no sidewalks,” Cox said. “We have a lot of people that go for walks and jog through there.”
Cox also claimed in the same interview with The Wichita Eagle, that the crime rate and amount of calls is so low that officers are able to patrol the city in 15 minutes.
Former Eastborough mayor, David Anderson, said in 2015 that of the town’s $2.5 million budget, less than $125,000 came from court fines.
The speed limit was set to 20 mph in the 1970’s and has yet to change.
Photography Is Not A Crime has reach out out to Chief Matthew Cox requesting a copy of the phone call.