Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Coordinating Committee to Lead the Follow-on Work of the National Forum



At the conclusion of the May National Forum on Police Crimes, a series of resolutions were arrived at by individual working groups, and there was a resolution to form a coordinating committee.


The coordinating committee began its work on July 6, 2014, with the following members:

Coordinating Committee Members

Frank Chapman
Mike Siviwe Elliot
Jazz Hayden
Joe Iosbaker
Nelson Linder
Coraminita Mahr
Anne Mitchell
Joey Mogul
Crista Noel
Kevin Tyson
Willie Williamson


The work of the coordinating committee is supported by an operations team:

Operations Team Members

Ted Pearson
Joe Scarry
Sarah Wild


To follow up with the coordinating committee, please contact Frank Chapman - fchapman@naarpr.org

Friday, May 30, 2014

Stopping Police Crimes: A National Epidemic Requires a Coordinated National Effort

by Frank Chapman

National Forum on Police Crimes, International House of the
University of Chicago, May 2014
Thank you to the many people who participated in, and otherwise contributed to, our National Forum on Police Crimes this past weekend of May 16-17, at the International House of the University of Chicago. We are looking forward to this being the harbinger of more forums and united actions against police crimes.

There were several startling outcomes from this effort:

Nationwide Response

When we made the Call, we didn't know if the response would be big. We discovered a big response - nationwide

Two hundred people registered people coming from Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, St. Louis, New York, New Jersey, Texas and of course Chicago.

For example, Nelson Linder, President, NAACP Austin, Texas, expressed the enthusiasm of people nationwide for the Forum: “Too many communities are isolated and ignored, now is the time to empower local communities. The National Forum is a very important beginning to the mobilization of local and nationally scaled initiatives and actions through the sharing of best practices and strategies. Really, now is the time…see you all there in Chicago” (See Police Crimes in the US - A View from Austin, Texas: An Interview with Nelson Linder)


Walking the Talk

When the day for the Forum came, we didn't know if people would actually come all the way to Chicago. People showed up, alright, from around the country -- and they showed a determination to work.

One hundred sixty-six (166) people participated in the Forum.

We had a diverse group of participants, and in addition to our plenary sessions we held seven highly-productive breakout sessions related to the problems of African-American people or other people of color, people who have lived here for a long time or new immigrants, men or women, straight or LGBT, supporters of the labor movement or international solidarity or other peace and justice movements.

Unity!


When the time came to hear from the Forum participants, through the breakout reports, we didn't know if the makings of a national movement reflecting unity would be apparent. What we discovered was that, across the diversity of topics covered in the breakouts, people perceive a national problem that demands a unified response.


For instance, in the labor breakout, the need was recognized to “rais[e] the bar for social justice through involvement in grass roots organizing and educating the masses on the issue of police crimes.”


The police crimes against women breakout recognized the broad human rights and international dimension of the struggle, “Demand use of human rights mechanisms to address police crimes and use of UN special rapporteurs to report individual cases to appropriate international bodies.”
As to the practical use of national coordination, the prison nation    
breakout articulated the need to “[e]nhance networking and
communications of regional/local best practices for solutions.”


Finally, from the institutionalized racism breakout, we heard, “The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression . . . needs to be revived and re-energized.”





The task ahead

When it came time to end the Forum, we didn't know if there would be commitment to working together on the next steps. But there was strong support for a coordinating committee to organize this effort nationally.




CAARPR made a friendly amendment to the “police crimes in prison nation” report back which stated in effect that this Forum resolve that a national coordinating committee be created for the specific purpose of implementing all the action proposals of all seven working groups.




The leaders of the seven working groups have shared the resolutions developed by their respective groups. They will be communicating with working group participants in the weeks ahead to continue this important work. Click on the links below to learn about the specific work of individual working groups, and to get involved.


Stopping police crimes against the undocumented and other immigrants

Stopping police crimes against the labor movement

Stopping police crimes based on institutionalized racism

Stopping police crimes against women

Stopping police crimes and FBI repression of peace and solidarity movements

Stopping police crimes against the LGBTQ community

Stopping police crimes in a prison nation

Thursday, May 29, 2014

National Forum on Police Crimes: Video, Reporting, and other Resources

The 2-day National Forum on Police Crimes 2014 was held at May 16-17, 2014, in Chicago, as a project of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, and co-sponsored by Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago and International House at the University of Chicago.


VIDEO

Watch the full plenary session filmed by CAN-TV: National Forum on Police Crimes

Speakers include:

Tracye A. Matthews
Associate Director
Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago

Frank Chapman
Field Organizer
Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression

Lennox Hinds
Attorney; Professor of Criminal Justice Rutgers

Rob Warden
Executive Director
Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern University

Jeff Baker
President
Committee for a Better Chicago

Muhammad Sankari
Arab American Action Network

Bernardine Dohrn
Clinical Associate Professor of Law
Northwestern University School of Law

Nelson Linder
President
NAACP - Austin, TX Chapter

Crista Noel
Founder/CEO
Women's All Points Bulletin

Joseph "Jazz" Hayden
Founder
allthingsharlem.com


PRESS REPORTS

April 30, 2014, People's World, "National forum on police crimes to be held in Chicago" by Evlynn Wier

May 17, 2014, Breaking Voices, "Angela Davis comes to Chicago for National Forum on Police Crime & Racism" by VInce Wallace

May 18, 2014, Chicago Reporter, "Davis: Police violence has hit a 'crisis' point" by Angela Caputo

May 27, 2014, Truthout, "Angela Davis Featured at National Forum on Police Crimes at University of Chicago" by Harry Targ

May 29, 2014, Portside, "National Forum on Police Crimes Calls for Civilian Police Accountability Councils" by Pat Fry


FORUM REPORTS

SUMMARY: "Stopping Police Crimes: A National Epidemic Requires a Coordinated National Effort" by Frank Chapman

Stopping police crimes against the undocumented and other immigrants

Stopping police crimes against the labor movement

Stopping police crimes based on institutionalized racism

Stopping police crimes against women

Stopping police crimes and FBI repression of peace and solidarity movements

Stopping police crimes against the LGBTQ community

Stopping police crimes in a prison nation


OTHER RESOURCES

Call for a National Forum on Police Crimes

National Forum on Police Crimes: Agenda

National Forum on Police Crimes: Breakout Sessions

National Forum on Police Crimes: Host Committee

Police Crimes in the US, A View from Austin, Texas: An Interview with Nelson Linder

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Stopping Police Crimes in a Prison Nation

The proposed goal of the breakout was “to explore the inextricable link between police crimes and the prison industrial complex, which starts with school to prison pipeline and to find ways in which the movement to stop police crimes can augment the movement against mass incarceration.”

Co­‐facilitators: Joseph “Jazz” Hayden and Daryle Brown co­‐facilitators

Resolutions of the working group:

1. Modify the way confessions can be obtained and used, eliminating police confessions as evidence.

2. How to raise awareness of mental health issues and the effect on incarceration rates and community surveillance.

3. Improve police accountability to the community, police relations with the community, including community surveillance to document police activity.

4. Education on how to respond to police stops and arrests.

5.Enhance networking and communications of regional/local best practices for solutions.


Solutions/Actions to Address Goals

1. Confessions – 18USC242 (federal statute)

a. Research into other places where police confessions are not allowed
b. Design model legislation or policies to that can be tweaked for regional/local
c. Attack on various fronts with legislation or law suits
d. Develop a fact based media campaign, including competent street level spokespeople
e. Develop street level strategy

2. Mental Health

a. Recruit mental health expertise to quantify the issue and define demographics, particularly children/youth
i. Use public health students to investigate and write papers on this subject
b. Develop economic models focused on life time supports versus incarceration expense
c. Develop policy models to launch in various locations
d. Develop national media campaign and recruit mental health/human interest spokespeople
i. Include investigation of mental health as it impacts post incarceration, families of the incarcerated
e. Develop street level strategy models

3. Improve Police Accountability

a. Police Surveillance
i. Work with Joseph Hayden to document the process of video surveillance of police that was developed to end Stop and Frisk in NY
ii. Build a model that can be shared with communications nationally
iii. Develop a media campaign and tools to support local communities in their efforts to monitor police work
b. Police Accountable
i. Research “non-­‐police” review boards and community satisfaction (Austin, TX for example)
ii. Develop models of elected and civilian police review boards to be shared nationally iii. Develop grassroots strategies for implantation

4. Education on Police Stops and Arrests

a. Develop a pocket guide (pdf) for national distribution
b. Use 411 pamphlet, document from (Austin, TX -­‐ Nelson Linder) as model
i. Don’t run . . .
ii. Don’t talk . . .
iii. Don’t smart off . . .
iv. Treat officer with respect . . .

5. Enhanced Network and Communications

a. Develop a Google group to allow interested organizations to keep in touch and monitor progress on issues

To become involved in this working group:

Use the working groups sign-up form to select groups to get involved in.  

Stopping Police Crimes based on Institutionalized Racism

The proposed goal of the breakout is “to encourage broad coalitions to address police crimes targeted against black and Latino youth under the false premise of ‘securing and protecting the community’.”

Session Leader: Kevin Tyson

Resolutions of the working group:

1. The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (referred to below as Alliance) needs to be revived and re-energized. This includes making a special and serious effort to reach out to youth and other organizations.

2. We need a method of communication which would include a newsletter and maintaining of a mailing list.

3. The organization needs to hold periodic meetings such as this Forum either quarterly, semi-annually or annually.

4. The organization needs to reach out to others who are not Alliance members. (Stop talking to just ourselves).

5. The organization (i.e., the Alliance) needs to adopt a more comprehensive approach. Not only to the police but the judges, prosecutors, political figures, who control the attack dogs.

We need to look at other forms of institutional racism such a sexist treatment of women of color in various professions.

To become involved in this working group:

Use the working groups sign-up form to select groups to get involved in.

Stopping Police Crimes Against Women

The goal of this breakout session was to discuss Civilian Police Accountability Councils’ legislation and its impact on a strategy to build a strong coalition to eradicate police violence against women including rape, battery, murder and other human rights violations.

Session Leader: Crista Noel

Attendees

Nicole D’Anza, Jackie - DePaul University

Sonja Wallace - Women's All Points Bulletin (WAPB) Board Member

Beverly Wilson Ellison, Sr. - Women's All Points Bulletin (WAPB) Founder

Wanakee

John May - St. Louis

Ken Jones - St. Louis

Vikki Muhammad - Florida

Queen Mother

Jill

Jim McCoy - Bronzeville

Janice

Gwendolyn

Tezeru

Addressing the Four Categories of Victimization in reference to Police Crimes

Physical - Aggravated Battery, murder, tasings/electrical shock, sexual assault

Emotional and Psychological - Intimidation, malicious prosecution

Social - Blaming the victim

Financial - Records, “checking the box”, Job loss

Resolutions of the working group:

1. Supporting demands for body cameras on police and mandatory video cams in cars with 360 degree cameras as well as audios of arrestees in the back seat of squad cars.

2. Support the demand that accused officers pay for their own legal representations in both civil and criminal litigations.

3. That our movement demand better enforcement of orders of protection sought by women during and after divorce custody proceedings and improved liaisons between courts and police in IPV cases.

4. That our movement support the demands for diversity and sensitivity training for officers while they are in the police academy.

5. That our movement support the demands for transparency of all complaint reports.

6. That our movement support demands for attorneys for victims of police crimes and special independent investigators.

7. No guns. Only tasers.

8. Special independent investigators for sexual assault victims.

9. Only female officers in female lock-up.

10. That officers be required to call in and report mileage when transporting female prisoners; and videoed to support reported mileage.

11. Limit the length of interrogation of people held in custody.

12. Make it mandatory that parents be notified immediately if their children are taken into custody.

13. Mandatory reporting of police crimes by emergency room doctors.

14. Training with respect to people with disabilities.

15. Demand use of human rights mechanisms to address police crimes and use of UN special rapporteurs to report individual cases to appropriate international bodies.


To become involved in this working group:

Use the working groups sign-up form to select groups to get involved in.

Stopping Police Crimes and FBI Repression Against Peace and Solidarity Movements

The proposed goal of the breakout was “to build support for the rights of peace and solidarity and anti-capitalist movements and to expose and resist police crimes against them including agents provocateur, frame ups, false arrests, and imprisonment. Also, to build support for all movements to organize and protest peacefully."

Session Leaders: Joe Iosbaker and Muhammad Sankari

Resolutions of the working group:

1. Whereas: Federal repression of political activism continues today against all communities opposed to oppressive government policies.

2. Whereas: The Government continues to target people based on race, religion, or political opposition as a way to instill fear in their communities.

3. Whereas: We understand power concedes nothing except in the face of more power.

4. Whereas: A defense of activists & community leaders weakens law enforcements ability to repress all people.

5. Whereas: Rasmea Odeh, a community icon & activist who has dedicated her life for justice of all people is under attack by the Federal government.

This forum calls on people to mobilize in defense of Rasmea at her trial in the Federal Courthouse in Detroit, MI beginning June 10th, 2014
This forum also demands the government to end preemptive prosecution and free all political prisoners!

To become involved in this working group:

Use the working groups sign-up form to select groups to get involved in.