Oklahoma Jail accused of racial profiling by increasing staff for NBA YoungBoy show
Oklahoma County Jail planned to increase staff ahead of NBA YoungBoy performing in Oklahoma City over the weekend, and has been accused of racism.
YoungBoy performed at Paycom Center as part of his Make America Slime Again Tour on November 1st, which has a capacity of around 20,000.
A memo obtained by The Oklahoman detailed YoungBoy’s legal issues and criminal charges that involve guns and drugs.
It mentioned that shows in Chicago, Detroit, and Atlanta had been cancelled, while another in New Orleans had over 400 officers.
“Based off other cities that have either hosted or cancelled planned events with this individual, it is assessed that significant safety/security measures and planning should be discussed and planned prior to event,” the OCDC Intelligence Assessment said.
Interim jail administrator, Tim Kimrey, said, “We have brought in extra staff for Saturday [for the concert], just in case there’s an influx of inmates, both in receiving and medical, to be able to handle that. So we’ve got our CERT team (Correctional Emergency Response Team) that’s going to be on standby.”
When jail trustee Derrick Scobey asked if more staff had been brought in for other concerts, Kimrey replied, “Yes, sir.” But when asked to name them, he said, “I can’t tell you exactly the names.”
Scobey responded, “I have never heard, I’ve never heard a jail administrator over that lectern in my three years [on the trust] say that we’re bringing in more staff because a concert is in town. Never.”
Scobey, who is Black and the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, accused the move of being “overt” racism, noting the concert attendees would be 75 per cent African-Americans.