Rally for Police Accountability

This is the text of a letter we are asking you to send to City Council members

McElhaney (D3Intern@oaklandnet.com)

Campbell-Washington (ACampbellWashington@oaklandnet.com)

Guillen (clchen@oaklandnet.com)

Reid (lreid@oaklandnet.com)

in advance of the June 14th rally and hearing:

Dear Council Member ___________________

 

Oakland has spent more than 30 million dollars monitoring the Negotiated Settlement Agreement over the Oakland Police Department since 2003 and over 65 million dollars on wrongful death and police brutality lawsuits. How many affordable housing units or police academies could those funds have provided for our city?

As you know, a group of concerned citizens and [30] organizations, known as the Oakland Police Accountability Coalition including the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the League of Women Voters, SEIU Local 1021, ACCE, the Oakland Alliance, and the Block by Block Organizing Network have discussed the need for a truly independent police commission that could be set up when the current federal oversight ends. The Coalition has researched existing versions, interviewed attorneys, police specialists and sitting commissioners in other cities and come up with a unique new model of police oversight.

Since an independent commission requires a charter change and a citywide election, we are requesting that you join with Council Members Kalb, Gallo, and Kaplan to put this carefully wrought measure on the November ballot rather than substituting a weaker ordinance that does not provide true citizen accountability. A measure that continues to give the mayor or a city administrator the option of declining to impose discipline, for instance, would restrict true police department reform and leave us open for more abuse and additional lawsuits in the future.

This is a good government measure that provides transparency and real community engagement with police operations for all Oakland residents. As progressives, we expect no less from our representatives. We hope you will join with progressive council colleagues to place it on the ballot.

Signed

Pamela Drake, Sheryl Walton, Sharon Rose, Floyd Huen, Rich Johnson, Michael Tigges

You can copy and paste the text into your favorite text editor, or download it from here: Progressives’ Police Accountability Measure

Tags: , ,

Comments are closed.