Tony Lewis expressed the frustrations of a lot of North Charleston residents when he said the police don't always show respect to people in the city.

"It's like, 'Because I got the gun and the badge, I'm bad,' " he said, describing some of the officers on the force.

Anthony Gentile expressed the same sentiment.

"I know they're really in a tough job," he said, "but we're not the enemy."

Tuesday's North Charleston NAACP forum on the police brought to the surface lingering perceptions among some residents who spoke of racial profiling, harassment and unnecessary car chases. Others claimed officers often target the innocent as well as the guilty in their zeal to find lawbreakers.

For his part, Police Chief Jon Zumalt defended his department's tactics, saying increased stops are necessary to help halt the violence that had plagued the city for years, including through drugs and guns.

"I have to do it and I will continue," he said.

He did urge the public to report wrongs when they see them, saying none of what he heard Tuesday was being reported to police headquarters or in the timely fashion needed for him to respond.

"I can't go after things I can't see," he said, telling citizens to call him or the city's Office of Professional Standards, also known as internal affairs. "I promise I will look into it."

He also said he had no evidence of racial profiling in North Charleston, because no complaints are coming in saying it is out there. "People need to communicate with us," he urged.

More than 60 people attended the forum organized by North Charleston NAACP President Ed Bryant to address what he said were issues that have been stewing for some time. Afterward, he called the night a success and vowed to have more gatherings in the coming months.

"It was a success because a whole lot of people were informed," he said inside the gymnasium of the Alfred Williams Community Center on Durant Avenue.

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