Jul 16, 2016

Rally for Police Reform - Strengthen the Police Review Commission to Hold BPD Accountable

From the event page:

On Tuesday, the Berkeley City Council will vote on a ballot measure to reform and strengthen the Police Review Commission. The proposed initiative would allow the commission to hire and fire the Chief of Police, have the authority to suggest discipline to the Chief and City Manager, have access to an independent counsel, and strengthen community engagement.

In 2014, the Berkeley Police Department used police brutality against protesters who were exercising their First Amendment rights in support of Black Lives Matter. Furthermore, statistics generated from the Fair and Impartial Policing Policy have shown that BPD disproportionately stops people of color.

Unfortunately the Police Review Commission, as it is currently constituted, is unable to fix these problems. The Current PRC system so fundamentally flawed that civil rights and civil liberties attorneys tell clients not to bothering filing complaints, with complainants stating that the current rules leave them feeling disrespected and violated. We need Police Review Commission that can hold the BPD accountable.

If this item fails on Tuesday, Berkeley will not have the opportunity to fix the Police Review Commission until 2018. We can not wait that long; we need to demand City Council places this on the ballot.

Please join us at our rally before the Council meeting in support of this item, and then join us in speaking in support of it at the meeting. You can also show your support before Tuesday by emailing council@cityofberkeley.info and clerk@cityofberkeley.info.

Sponsors (partial list): *CalSERVE - Cal Students for Equal Rights and a Valid Education *CAL Black Student Union *Office of ASUC Senator-Elect Zaynab AbdulQadir *Office of ASUC Senator Boomer Vicente Cal Berkeley Democrats