The 100 or so people who turned out at Carnegie Library in Homewood Wednesday to discuss proposed police reforms in the wake of the Jordan Miles affair should be congratulated. Taking time from the business of putting food on the table to attend a meeting on important civic matters like police conduct is required of any community in Homewood's position.

The people of Homewood made an impassioned case to their councilman, Ricky Burgess, and his colleagues that steps like placing video cameras in all Pittsburgh police cars represent a start but don't quite go far enough. Some argued, quite persuasively, that a "transformation" in police attitudes was also needed.

Residents of that often-beleaguered community have a reasonable expectation that police whose salaries they help pay should do a better job distinguishing between law-abiding citizens and those who aren't. Only the most stubborn, out-of-touch apologist for any act of police violence would argue that the beating of Jordan Miles by three undercover cops was justified.

In public meetings, horror stories are inevitable. Disgruntled citizens willingly let loose with complaints about the police -- both justified and dubious -- given the opportunity. This region's woeful history of cop-on-citizen violence has never been taken seriously by its elected officials. As a result of official chicken-heartedness and indifference, a deeply ingrained persecution complex has set in on both sides.

The rumor of a "blue flu," a work slowdown by police in response to a judge's sensible decision to dismiss charges against Jordan Miles, is one manifestation of this persecution complex. Some officers feel disrespected and want to strike back by withholding their services. Those who hold this attitude and conspire to spread it should be identified and encouraged to find employment elsewhere.

The flip side of this bad attitude is when an angry citizen stands up at a community meeting and complains with a straight face that "young black men can't walk the streets of their neighborhood without fear of being accosted by Pittsburgh police." With all due respect, this is a ridiculous argument that fails to acknowledge the reality of the near-weekly black male body count throughout our communities.

When the cops rolled on Jordan Miles on a cold January evening, the CAPA honor student's first thoughts were probably not that he was about to be accosted by undercover police, but that he was seconds away from being the victim of another act of random urban violence. That's not a problem that typically wears a cop's badge. The sooner this inconvenient truth is acknowledged and dealt with by the good folks of Homewood, the better.

If only unjustified police violence was the biggest problem in the black community. Given the rarity of Jordan Miles-like incidents, we would be considerably ahead of the game if it were. All we would have to do is stick cameras in police squad cars and give officers more training -- problem solved. But we all know that reckless cops aren't even in the top 10 of problems that beset black communities in this region.

I know that Ricky Burgess convened the Wednesday meeting at the Homewood library to get input into a set of bills he's dubbed "The Jordan Miles Public Safety Reform Agenda." Mr. Burgess has already proven himself one of the most thoughtful people to be elected to City Council in years, but he's missing the boat if he limits the public safety element of his agenda to policing the police.

True public safety reform is a two-way street. The residents of Homewood have to move beyond a passive-aggressive relationship with law enforcement to one of full partnership and cooperation based on trust and mutual respect.

There are criminal enterprises running rampant in every black neighborhood that are effectively protected by community silence. This breeds despair, a cynicism about law enforcement, economic backwardness due to lack of commercial investment and, ultimately, the outrageous murder rates that give these communities a bad name.

More than 100 people turned out to complain about how the cops treated Jordan Miles, but until 100 or 200 or 300 people turn out at the next Pittsburgh school board meeting to insist on a superior education for their kids, it won't matter. The real culprit is failing to take responsibility for the myriad of problems in education and neighborhood crime the community faces.

Jordan Miles will go to college, find gainful employment and put this incident behind him. Most kids in his neighborhood won't. We also know that the next act of violence in Homewood won't be perpetrated by a police officer.

"The Jordan Miles Public Safety Reform Agenda" should go far beyond putting cameras in squad cars. I'm suggesting only half-facetiously that they also be put in every home to make sure the television is off and homework is getting done. Then we'll see real reform.

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