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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-25-1999 ArticlesNATIONAL MEMBERS' BULLETIN `/ SPRING '99, ISSUE 4 FOR MOST MARRIED couples, a wedding anniversary is a day of memories to cherish. But for Etta and James Carter, their 40th anniversary was a day they would probably wish to forget. On July 12, 1994, while returning to their Philadelphia home after attending their daughter's wedding in Florida, the couple was stopped by state police on 1-95, ostensibly for "wobbly driving." The police officers called in a canine unit to help them search the Carters' car, removing every item from the vehicle, and forcing the elderly couple to sit on the side of the road for more than an hour. Mrs. Carter's request to use a portable toilet located in their SUV was denied, and the police officer threatened to handcuff her if she did not sit down and be quiet. Eventually, Mrs. Carter was forced to soil herself. It would be nearly three hours before the couple was released from police custody, but not before they had to repack their dismantled vehicle themselves. No drugs or other contraband were found. A similar incident happened to Robert Wilkins. Returning from a family funeral, he and his family were ordered out of their car and detained in the rain for 45 minutes while a drug -sniffing dog was brought to the scene. Wilkins, a Washington, D.C.-based criminal defense lawyer, knew his rights and refused to consent to a police search of his vehicle. Knowing his rights did not make the scene any less humiliating for him, however: "The police lights were flashing white cars passed. People were slowing down to watch, with their faces pressed against the window. photo by ACLU of Maryland We were just standing there, looking stupid and feeling humiliated — and we hadn't done anything wrong." — Robert Wilkins The Carters and the Wilkinses are black. They and tens of thousands of other innocent motorists on highways across the country are victims of racial profiling — discriminatory police stops that have reached epidemic proportions in recent years. For the past decade, the "war on drugs" has given the police a pretext to target people who they think fit a "drug courier" or "gang member" profile, and the targets are almost invariably people of color as skin color becomes a substitute for evidence. Most of those stopped, like the Carter and Wilkins families, are completely Court (,d ebte_tti-bey "Driving While Black or Brown" innocent. But that does not matter in a system where skin color alone makes you a suspect. The ACLU has been fighting what has come to be known derisively as the offense of DWB, "driving while black (or brown)," since the late 1980s, and this year, we are making the issue one of our highest priorities. The ACLU has adopted a three -pronged strategy for vanquishing discriminatory police stops: litigation, legislation and increasing public awareness. At the time of this writing, we have brought lawsuits on behalf of DWB victims in six states — Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois and Indiana — and we will be filing other cases in California and Oklahoma against the state highway patrol soon. Litigation against DWB can be effective, although it is also extremely time- consuming. Our litigation in Maryland, for example, has so far consisted of three separate but related lawsuits involving the same stretch of 1-95. In 1993, we filed suit on behalf of Robert Wilkins and his family. A settlement two years later required the Maryland State Police to keep detailed records of all traffic stops, including the race of the driver. In 1997, as a result of a second lawsuit, the ACLU won a $50,000 settlement for Charles and Etta Carter. But in spite of these successes, race -based traffic stops continued on 1-95, and in April 1998, the ACLU filed a class action suit on behalf of the Maryland NAACP and 1 I individual minority motorists (eight more plaintiffs joined the case in October, including a member of ncc National Guard, a U.S. Army Captain, and a biologist with the National Institutes of Health). We are still Racially discriminatory police stops are not confined to the nation's highways. Pretexual traffic stops involving minor or technical violations are used by the police as an excuse to stop and search vehicles on city streets and suburban lanes as well. Indeed, discriminatory stops are not even confined to motorists; they happen to pedestrians, too. "Out of place" or "border patrol" pretext stops occur regularly in predominantly white suburban and rural areas. Police stop and search motorists of color because their mere presence in the neighborhood is viewed as suspicious. "Urban control" pretext stops, justified by the police as a crime fighting tool, happen in inner-city neighborhoods against young minority motorists. A plaintiff in an ACLU case in Pennsylvania, for example, was told by the police that he was stopped on his way home from a church celebration, lined up along the road and searched by drug -sniffing dogs, 'because you are young, black and in a high drug -trafficking area, and driving a nice car." Pretexual "Terry stops" happen to minority pedestrians, usually young and male, every day on sidewalks throughout the U.S. In 1968, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Terry v Ohio that the police did not need a warrant to stop and frisk an individual if 'a reasonably prudent [officer] in the circumstances [is] warranted in the belief that his safety or that of others is in danger.' The police routinely take advantage of their great discretion under Terryto stop and frisk young people of color who are doing nothing more than walking through their own communities. In New York City, police records show 45,000 such stops over the past two years, 35,000 of which were of innocent people. Only 5,000 good arrests resulted, awaiting a decision in that case. The legal papers in NAACP v. Maryland were buttressed by overwhelming statistical evidence of racial bias. A statistician retained by the ACLU discovered that in a particular corridor of I-95, only 16.9 percent of cars had black drivers, and 75.6 percent had white drivers, but 72.9 percent of the motorists pulled over and searched by the Maryland State Police were black (80.3 percent were black, latino or other racial minorities), and only 19.7 percent of those searched were white. According to the report of expert witness Dr. John Lamberth of Temple University, which was filed with the court, "The evidence examined in this study reveals dramatic and highly statistically significant disparities between the percentage of black Interstate 95 motorists legitimately subject to stop by Maryland State Police and the percentage of black motorists detained and searched by MSP troopers on this roadway... The statistics presented show without question a racially discriminatory impact on blacks and other minority motorists from state police behavior along 1-95." The second prong of our strategy is to win the passage of record -keeping legislation at both the state and federal levels. The ACLU actively supports a bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) which would require police departments to keep detailed records of traffic stops, including the race and ethnicity of the person stopped. The Justice Department would then be charged with collecting the data and determining the full scope of the problem nationwide. Similar legislation is pending in several state legislatures. Finally, the ACLU is engaging in several important public education initiatives in order to build support for progressive legislation, and to encourage victims of DWB to come forward and tell their stories — to the courts, to Congress, and to the media. All of our litigation is accompanied by intensive media outreach, including press conferences at which our clients speak of their experiences. Widespread national and local press coverage has been instrumental in raising the public's awareness of this problem, and in pressuring lawmakers to do something about it. In California, the ACLU is sponsoring radio ads and a series of billboards that urge victims to call a special toll -free hotline and report incidents of DWB. We are planning to expand this radio campaign nationwide. We also have a DWB reporting form on our website that many users have filled out and submitted. 0 You can read the script of the ACLU's new public service announcement on the back cover, and see a list of ways you can get involved right now to help end race -based stops on page 3. Excerpts from Speech by Ira Glasser VERY DAY SEEMS TO BRING more headlines about incidents of serious law enforcement abuses against people of color — whether it's Abner Louima or Amadou Diallo in New York City, Tyisha Miller in Riverside, California, Johnny Gammage in Pittsburgh or Kuan Ghung Kao in Sonoma County, California. These episodes of police brutality are but the ugliest and bloodiest symptoms of a larger problem: the fact that for people of color — especially African Americans and Hispanics — racially motivated killings, beatings, traffic stops, illegal searches, arrests and harassment are an all -too -familiar part of life in America. Misguided crime fighting and drug abatement policies have led to harsh police crackdowns targeting people who fit a "drug courier" or "gang member" profile. Police practices such as traffic stops for minor infractions, street searches, juvenile curfews and anti - loitering laws — all implemented in the name of the "war on drugs" or "zero - tolerance drug policies" — have been used to target minorities who are not involved in criminal' activity, and who would not have encountered the criminal justice system but for racially biased practices. How has this happened? The answer is as black -and -white as the headlines we read every day: skin color makes you a suspect in America. ■ This is part of a speech Ira Glasser deliverer{ at a press conference organized by civic rights leaders this February follo6wmg the fatal shooting of unarmed African street peddler Amadou Diallo. At the press conference, Glasser asked President Clinton to address the problem of police brutality and racism immediately. ACLU Supports the Traffic Stops Statistics Act in Congress N APRIL 14TH, CONGRESSMAN John Conyers (D-MI) and Senators Russell Feingold (D-WI) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)introduced the "Traffic Stops Statistics Act." The Act encourages police departments to keep detailed records of traffic stops, including the race and ethnicity of the person stopped, and includes funding for states to assist them in gathering the information. The Justice Department is charged with collecting all the data and determining the scope of the problem nationwide for possible remedial action. The ACLU strongly supports this legislation as a first step towards dealing with the DWB problem. We urge ACLU members and supporters to help pass the Traffic Stops Statistics Act by sending a free fax to their representative at httpl/www.eclu.org/action/dwb106.html. Targeting people of color for "Driving While Black or Brown" is a practice that has to stop — and you can help stop it. Here are seven ways. 1) The collection of racial data in traffic stops is the first step in proving how widespread and common racially discriminatory traffic stops are. Go to the ACLU's website at http://www.aclu.org/action/dwbIOG.htmi to send a FREE FAX to your Members of Congress urging them to support federal legislation to mandate the collection of race data in traffic stops. 21 At press time, one state, North Carolina, had passed state legislation for mandatory racial data collection on traffic stops, and another ten had introduced similar legislation. They are: California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia. Ohio was also seriously considering introducing such legislation. Do you live in one of these states? If so, write or call your state representatives and tell them to support the legislation. And if you live in a state not listed above, contact your state representative's office and tell them you want to see this legislation introduced and passed where you live! 3) Learn more about this issue. Our website (www.aclu.org) has a large collection of further information about DWB and police practices in general. Consult it if you can. (And if you do have Internet access, consider printing the information to copy and share with others. Everyone in our communities needs to know about DWB, whether they have access to the Internet or not!) 4) Get the word out on DWB! If you've been targeted by DWB, let the world know about it. Tell us, by calling our hotline number 877-6-PROFILE. Even if you haven't been personally affected by OWE, you can speak out against it. Write about it to the editor of your local newspaper, contact local N or radio call -in shows. Tell your friends, neighbors, relatives and co-workers about this practice. The more 'real" this issue becomes to members of your community, the more support there will be for fighting it. 51 Know your rights. Unfounded searches are illegal, so you should refuse consent if you are stopped by the police. Make sure, however, that there is a u witness present, and that you are not doing anything to endanger your physical well-being by resisting police authority. The ACLU has a pocket card that gives turther'infprmation on how to protect yourself and your rights in a police encounter. Contact your local ACLU or visit our website at www.acld:orgl/lihrary/bustcard.html to get a copy. �g 6) Consider petitioning your state police agency and/or local police department to voluntarily collect and publish racial data on traffic stops. It can happen! The San Diego Police Chief announced this February that the agency would soon begin voluntarily collecting — at the ACLU's suggestion — race data on traffic stops. The cost of beginning such a program was considered "miniscule` compared to the significance of the DWB issue. San Jose, CA, adopted a similar policy this winter. Other strategies for combating abusive police practices can be found in our ACLU booklet "Fighting Police Abuse: A Community Organizing Manual" (see page 4). 7) Join the ACLU and consider making an additional tax-deductible gift to the ACLU Foundation. Your support will help us fight DWB and other forms of injustice. For more information, call (212) 549-2585. �d BOARD The Nominating Committee is seeking -— suggestions for the 1999 at -large T i Nominations National Board Election. Please send any suggestions to James Hall, Nominating Committee Chair, c/o National ACLU, 125 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004 by May 10. Nominations may also be made by petition of 50 general members of the ACLU.`Any such petition should be sent to Karen Deltoce at the above adgfpass by June 17. Public Policy Reports 'ffirmative Action/Racial Justice Reaching for the Dream: Profiles in Affirmative Action (1999) A publication from the California affiliates of the ACLU and other groups allows you to meet some Californians whose lives were enriched by affirmative action programs in education, employment and contracting. Item 42461. $3 Skin Color as Evidence: The "Crime" of X Driving While Black by David A. Harris, University of Toledo College of Law. (1999) Available June 1999. Item #2502. $2 Crime/Capital Punishment False Premise/False Promise: The Blythe Street Gang Injunction and its Aftermath (1997) ACLUISouthern California report on LA's flawed tactic to combat gang violence. Item #2455. $ 1 Fighting Police Abuse: A Community Action Manual (1997) How communities can combat police brutality. Item #9030. $2.50 Fighting Police Abuse: A Community Action Manual Spanisb-language version. Item #9031. $2.50 The Case Against the Death Penalty by Hugo A. Bedau (1997) Item #9401. $2.50 Prison Resource Guide (1998) Informative compendium from the ACLU National Prison Project. Item #2500, $30 HIWAIDS Issues HIV Surveillance and Name Reporting (1998) Report on recent efforts to infringe on medical privacy. Item 12451. $1 The Maryland Lesson Conducting Effective HIV Surveillance with Unique Identifiers (1998) Item #2453. $1 Pre -Marital HIV Testing: A Record of Failure (1998) Item #2458. $1 HIV Partner Notification: Why Coercion Won't Work (1998) Item #2462. $1 AIDS in Prison Bibliography (1998) Compiled by the National Prison Project of the ACLU. Item #2501. $10 Privacy/Free Speech/Censorship Big Brother in the Wires (1998) Why the government shouldn't have a key to encryption software. Item #2460. $1 Censorship in a Box (1998) Why blocking software is wrong for public libraries. Item 12459.$l Fahrenheit 451.2: Is Cyberspace Burning? (1997) Ratings and blocking schemes to torch Internet free speech. Item #2452.$1 1 Step by Step Guide to Using the Freedom of Information Act Item #4002, $2.50 Surveillance, Inc. (1996) Are American workers forfeiting privacy for a paycheck? Item 15050. $1 Drug Testing: A Good Investment? (1999) Item 42503. $2 Bumper Stickers Take your activism on the road! ACLU "Briefs" Whimsical boxer shorts with ACLU "brand" on right backside. ACLU Refrigerator Magnets Stylish magnets feature faces and the slogan, "Freedom is why we're here." Six to a set. Call 800-775-ACLU for details on these new items! ACLU Briefing Papers Price: $1 each (10 or more 50o each) Item # 2122 Affirmative Action (1997) 2011 Against Drug Prohibition (1995) 2090 The Bill of Rights (1997) 2020 Church and State (1996) 2070 Freedom of Expression - First Amendment (1997) 2012 Freedom of Expression - Arts & Entertainment (1996) 2080 Guardian of Liberty: ACLU History & Mission (1996) 2085 Hate Speech on Campus (1994) 2095 Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered People (1999) 2123 People with Disabilities (1999) 2120 Reproductive Freedom (1999) 2092 Rights of Immigrants (1995) Many Briefing Papers now available in Spanish! Call 800-775-ACLU for details Now available through ACLU Publications! The Rights of American Indians and Their Tribes (1997) Item #1215. $8 The Rights of Students (1997) Item #1216, $8 The Rights of Women and Girls (1998) Item #1217. $9 The Rights of Racial Minorities (1998) Item #1218. $9 Note Cards A beautiful 4-color design. The ACLU Peace Quilt hangs in our national headquarters. The blank S" x 7" cards come 10 to a pack, with envelopes. Item #0077. $14/pack Video Freedom Collection Created Equal: The Cheryl Summerville Story (1998) A documentary calling for equal rights in employment for lesbians and gay men. VHS. Item #99Z7. $7 Double Justice: Race and the Death Penalty (1991) VHS, 19 min. Item #9910.$10 America's Constitutional Heritage: Religion and Our Public Schools (1994) VHS, 34 min. Item #9915. $5 Through the Keyhole: Privacy in the Workplace - An Endangered Right (1996) VHS, 13 mitt. Item #9925. $7 You can order a copy of the PBS special: "The American Civil Liberties Union: A History" which chronicles the 80-year history of the ACLU. 55 minutes, regularly $129, special ACLU offer $50. Call Films for the Humanities for details at800-257-5126. For Students and Teachers Ask Sybil Liberty about.... Civil liberties issues from a student point of view. $1 a copy (10 or more: $0.25 each) 2308 Keep Student Records Private 2312 Free Expression 2314 Fair Treatment (Due Process) 2316 Equality (Equal Treatment) 2318 Privacy & Personal Autonomy 2319 Religious Freedom Express Yourself, Interactive computer program (Mac) teaches middle and high school students about the First Amendment. Item #9500. $5 Through Our Eyes: Immigration Unplugged. ACLUF/Northern California 1996 field investigation. Item #2456. $2 PROJECT HIP HOP Resource for High School Students (1997) ACLU of Massachusetts guide explores the legacy of the civil rights movement. Item #2457. $8 ACLU Campus Organizing Manual (1997) How to start a campus ACLU group. Item #2454. $1 Juvenile Justice Unplugged ACL UF/ Northern California 1997 field investigation. Item #2463. $2 MANS . Throughout May and June, a public service announcement about the problem of DWB will be aired on radio stations nationwide. The script of the radio spot follows. Guy #1: Aw, man! Guy #2: What? Guy #1: The police are following us. Guy #2: You sure? Guy #1: Everywhere I go, they're there, I'm telling you. Guy #2: Alright, be cool. Hold on... Why are we scared? We didn't do anything wrong. Guy #1: Yeah. (Pause) So why're they pulling us over? Announcer: The sight of a police car shouldn't scare you. Driving while black or brown isn't against the law, but police officers stopping drivers because of the color of fhei skin is. In one case it was found that minorities made up only 16% of drivers, but were 74% of those `stopped and searched. Enough! Call the ACLU hotline and tell us your story at 1-877-6-PROFILE. Together we have the power to help end discrimination by the police. Call 1-877-6-PROFILE and let's ARREST THE RACISM. We will also release a special report on the issue (see p. 4). Opinion Iowa City Press -Citizen Of course, there's likely to be more underage drink- ing in a university town. Of course, the more police check IDs in bars fre- quented by students, the more likely they are to find underage drinkers. So it's no wonder local bar owners are chafing under renewed scrutiny. New statistics show Iowa City Police are on track for a record number of underage alcohol possession arrests this year, mainly as a result of increased ID checks in bars. The news has brought critical letters to bars from the Stepping Up Coalition, a group that wants to reduce binge drinking. Bar owners say they're doing exactly what they're supposed to do by checking IDs and that there ought to be more talk between them and the coalition. Yes, there ought to be more talk. But we wonder it' everything possible is being done. The statistics certainly tell a part of the story. In all of 1998. police found 677 vio- lators in just over 1,000 bar checks. It averaged to about eight underage drinkers per 10 checks. So far in 1999, police have found 577 underage drinkers, or about 9.3 per 10 checks. An increase on hoth counts. Our view No secret to solutions on drinking But let's look closer, Of the more than 60 bars and restaurants checked, just four Bo James, Fieldhouse, Sports Column and Union — accounted for almost 74 percent of the underage drinkers this year. Do more checks account for that? That's part of it. But overall in 1999, each police check netted less than one underage drinker on average. In these four bars? It was 2.8 underage drinkers per check. And that's an increase over 1999, when it was just 2.2. Let's not be too harsh with these several bars. They do have a high percentage of student patrons, so a high percentage of underage drinkers isn't a big surprise. And they're not going to catch every fake ID. no mat- ter how hard they try. So let's look for solutions: ■ First, state officials have to devise the better ID, hard- er to fake, It can he done. ■ Next, han patrons at htus who are under 21. the legal drinking age. Iowa City officials are considering that for certain hours. It's a good first step. If it doesn't work, ban them during all husiness hours. Page 11 A Monday, May 10, 1999 The issue: w Police sweeps i more young drinkers We suggest: ■The solutions are s ple. We just need will to take the actior ■ Increase fines on bar owners, and back them up with real threats of yanking liquor licenses— temporari- ly or permanently. When it becomes unprofitable to have underage drinkers caught in a bar, the bar own- ers quickly will find ways to keep them out. ■ Bar owners will say that underage drinkers simply will move to homes and buy their beer and liquor at stores. There's some truth to that. So police need to start stings at stores, to see which are selling to underage cus- tomers. It's been done else- where, and it's an effective tool. We never, ever will elimi- nate underage drinking. It just won't happen. But we certainly can limit it. And once we do, the Stepping Up Coalition can work even harder to provide alcohol -free activities for high school and college snr dents in the area. The steps we need to take are no secret. Thcy'vc bec❑ suggested and dl9Cu\SCd before. All it takes is a will at do it. The Daily 16WOR Wednesday, May 12, 1999 Page 3A Police board criticizes Winkelhake A presentation by Iowa City Police Chief R.J. Winkelhake at a public forum on April 29 drew criticism from several Police Citizen Review Board members during a meeting Tuesday night. Winkelhake made a presentation during a public forum in the Broadway neighborhood but only took questions from board members, not from members of the public, said board Chairwoman Leah Cohen. "It was clearly our intent for the chief to come and have a conversation with the community about the Special Crimes Action Team and the current procedures and future plans," said board member John Watson. "It's a disappointment that he didn't take advantage of the opportunity." Watson asked the other board members to support a move that he believed "would help improve community relations," but the board chose not to draft a letter to Iowa City City Manager Steve Atkins and Winkelhake voicing their disappointment. The board opted instead to let the meeting minutes show the disappointment in the appearance. Winkelhake was the first speaker at the public forum, and the members' expectations may not have been conveyed clearly enough, said board member Margaret Raymond. "It's a matter of making our exact expectations more clearly stated in the future," she said. In other board news, applications for a fifth board -member position are available at the Civic Center; they are due by May 18. There are currently no completed applications for the position, Cohen said. The next board meeting will be on May 25 at 7 p.m. in the Civic Center Lobby Conference Room. The board will discuss the hiring of a new legal counsel to replace Doug Russell, who was appointed 6th District Court judge last March. The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa'. Sat., May 15, 1999 3B* Police review post draws no applicants By Adam Lowenstein Gazette Johnson County Bureau IOWA CITY The Iowa City Council has received no applica- tions for a vacancy on the Police Citizens Review Board (PCRB). The opening is for the remain- der of Margaret Raymond's three-year term, which ends in September 2000. Raymond re- signed because she is moving from Iowa City. The PCRB meets the second Tuesday of every month. Special meetings, if necessary, are scheduled on the fourth Tues- day. The seeming lack of interest comes as something of a sur- prise given that 44 applications were received when the board was formed two years ago. However, at that time, the Eric Shaw shooting that led to the creation of the board was barely a year old. Interest in monitoring law enforcement was high, as was publicity sur- rounding the new board. "I think the interest in the community with (the PCRB) was a little different than it is now," said Leah Cohen, who chairs the board. But Cohen said she is not IOWA CITY concerned and believes there will be an appointment on May 18, when the City Council is scheduled to fill the vacancy. Mayor Ernie Lehman was not as optimistic. "Even if applica- tions were filed as late as (Fri- day), I don't think there would be adequate time for the council to review those folks." That means that the vacancy will be advertised for another 30 days. During that time, council members may become more ac- tive in soliciting applications, Lehman said. "I do not believe we will go 30 more days without an applica- tion," he said. PCRB member John Watson, whose term also ends in Septem- ber, must decide by June wheth- er he is going to re -apply. He said on Friday that he is leaning toward another term, but has not made a final decision. Watson hopes a minority can be appointed to fill Raymond's spot, because "a lot of us feel it is important we have that per- spective on the board." Iowa City Press -Citizen Broadway area makes progress By Larissa Ulstad The Press -Citizen h takes a community. A year ago, a shooting on the southeast side of Iowa City opened the eyes of the neighbor- hood and the city. Police talked of an ongoing problem of gangs and drugs in town, but the Iowa City problem didn't hit home until the night of May 18, 1998, when a 17-year-old was shot in the leg in an altercation in the neighbor- hood surrounding Wetherby Park off Bums Avenue. Less than 12 hours later, in retaliation for the first shooting, more shots were fired a short durance away, but no one was injured. In the year since then, a neighborhood association formed and worked with police and city officials to improve the neighborhood. And it has been successful. Jerry Hansen, part of the Wetherby Friends and Neighbors, said the neighbor- hood has far fewer problems and police calls than last year. "I think in the last nine or 10 months, we've come a long way," he said. "We've gotten rid of the crime problems on the sur- face, and now we are chipping at the underlying problems" Hansen said lighting improvements and traffic -calm- ing measures are being imple- mented in the neighborhood. The neighborhood association also has been involved with the city in proposed zoning changes and is actively involved in the development of the area. "Now that the weather is warming up, we'll be watch- ing," Hansen said. The city already has appro- priated $100,000 for Wetherby Park and improvements to be made there. Terry Trueblood, director of the city Parks and Recreation division, said work on the park is expected to begin in June and should be complet- ed by September. The parking lot will be resurfaced, and new playground equipment and a basketball court will be installed. Also, the park shelter will be renovated, a trail will be blazed around the park and some prairie areas will be established. Trueblood said plans to rede- velop the park began several years ago when the park was See BROADWAY/4A Broadway From 1 A expanded by 10 acres. Work will be divided between contractors, city Parks and Recreation employees and volunteers. Hansen said that the Wetherby Friends and Neighbors, along with the nearby Pepperwood Neighborhood Association, have requested a $10,000 Projects for Improving Neighborhoods grant to renovate the Wetherby Park shelter. The City Council will consider the request Tuesday night. He said future plans include work- ing with developers and new landlords in the area. Hansen hopes to have landlords who have dealt with prob- lems successfully help new landlords understand what to look for and how to solve difficult issues. "We're tying to show the rest of the city that we can handle this;' said Hansen, who has lived in and enjoyed the area for 13 years. Lessons learned from last sum- mer's burst of violence and criminal activity are shared by the neighbor- hood and city government, said City Manager Steve Atkins. Neighbors, he said, learned that they need to report what is going on in their neighborhood. The city, mean- while, found its resources tested because it requires far more to address such problems than just police response. Last May, the Iowa City Police Department formed the Special Crimes Action Team in response to the escalated gang and drug problems near Wetherby Park. Iowa City Police Chief R.J. Winkelhake said he believes SCAT has been effective since it was formed. "I think there is certainly a need to continue the work SCAT is doing," Winkelhake said - Hc said people involved in prob- lematic activity that caused the cre- ation of SCAT last summer are still SCAT The Iowa City Police Department's Special Crimes Action Team made 1,453 arrests from its formation in May 1998 until last December. ■ Drug violations: 225 ■ Aggravated Assault: 18 ■ Disorderly Conduct: 61 ■ Liquor Violations: 312 ■ Drunken Driving: 56 ■ Intoxication: 193 ■ Juvenile: 77 ■ Shoplifting: 11 ■ Miscellaneous*: 500 (*Miscellaneous charges include driving while revoked or under suspension, arson, pos- session of a fake license and others.) here. Some have moved to surround- ing areas, and additional people with gang ties have since moved to the area. But just because the activity has slowed and changed to some extent, it does not mean that it will not return. When SCAT was formed, it spent most of its time providing extra patrol in the Broadway area. Since then, the team has expanded its scope through- out the entire city, dealing with drugs and gang problems. Recently, the Iowa City Police Department hired nine new officers, six of whom were partially funded by grant money. Winkelhake applied for the grant last summer to replace the officers who were shifted to SCAT. Sgt. Vicki Lalla, the officer in charge of SCAT, said that while she believes the team has been successful, the problems it was created to solve still exist. The activity continues, she said, but it is not as blatant. Lalla said a combination of efforts, including SCAT, the neighborhood association, the city and lighting and traffic work, has cleaned up the Broadway -area neighborhood. "A big thing is neighbors are say- ing they're not going to tolerate it and are calling us;" she said. S.ocal N, ws - The Des Moines Register III II" %cN w dIII repster- Qom 'ne,,, stoncsic-1788993. 7768b8_ h t III 0 Sections ■ Headlines ■ News Extras ■ Forums • Sites ■ Sports ■ Entertainment ■ Employment ■ Real Estate ■ Classifieds • Navigation: Headlines : Crime & Courts : Report Family sues city, police ■ 'There's absolutely a million other ways they could have handled this,' the victim's mother says. By LYNN OKAMOTO More Register Staff Writert Forum 05/14/1999 DI As Adam Clark stood in a Des Moines apartment in the early morning of March 28, he had no idea that the people who charged up the stairs and into the apartment were police officers until they shot and fatally wounded him, a federal lawsuit filed Thursday claims. The lawsuit says Clark believed the officers were men who had attacked him and his friends earlier that evening. Clark's mother, Mary Kirsch Sinclair, filed the lawsuit against the city of Des Moines and the two officers involved. "I feel that there's no justification for the loss of my son's life," Sinclair said Thursday. "There's absolutely a million other ways they could have handled this." Des Moines Police Chief William Moulder said the police officers properly identified themselves when they arrived at the apartment to investigate reports of a fight. He said that when officers Michael McBride and Timothy Peak approached the apartment at 3118 Cottage Grove Ave., they said, "Police officers, open up." Moulder said Clark responded, "You can't come in without a warrant." Police say Clark, 20, then kicked open the door while holding what turned out to be a pellet gun. Peak shot and killed him, officials say. Officials said both officers were in uniform. I or2 5i14i99 8.58 AM '.ocal Nc�s- IlieI)cs Moines Rcglzlcr h11jr: vNvN 1r I11RJgLSICLAUIII. OCAS It"' "I 1-i I 1n1 I I ninuo_uuu, 03 Sinclair's lawsuit is similar to one filed last Friday. In that lawsuit, the family of Jerome Mozee, an unarmed man shot by police after a foot chase, also claim that police used excessive force. That lawsuit made note of Mozee being black, and accused the city of targeting minorities in the use of deadly force. If such a pattern exists, Clark, who is white, does not fit into it. But Alfredo Parrish, who filed both lawsuits, said Clark's shooting shows there is a problem with police training in the use of force. The lawsuit points out that McBride also was involved in the 1997 shooting death of Charles Dudley and that Peak was involved in the beating of an alleged drunken driver. However, the police department has said that McBride did not fire his gun in the Clark case. City and state investigations into the shooting are almost complete. Moulder said his department is still awaiting test results to see whether Clark was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. • Navigation: Headlines : Crime & Courts : Report Find more news every day in The Des Moines Register. Subscribe now. Copyright © 1999, The Des Moines Register. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service (updated 2/23/98). 2 or2 5,14 99 858 AM I:IIeseat! lc Ames. I Wap's'rop stoII" Citizen ma} sit in on shooting rases http Se" Iticun,c� wnI CNI'a. UI U,UL"umv i puos_u i Lrv, -uuw Search Too Stories Index Top Stories Home Pa -Le r:� �: at.;zu. e. r•.auts CopNright .'C' 1997rhe Seattle'I imes C'ompanp Jan. 29, 1997 Citizen may sit in on shooting cases Plan would open police review of incidents by Susan Byrne s Seattle Times staff reporter Whenever an officer fires a gun, the Seattle Police Department convenes a group of its own to rule whether the shooting was justified, unjustified or accidental. Until now, the proceedings of the Firearms Review Board have been closed to the public. But a proposal that passed the Seattle City Council's Public Safety Committee yesterday and heads to the full council Monday would put a citizen at the table. "It doesn't matter if it's police or doctors or lawyer or teachers," said City Councilwoman Jane Noland, who chairs the committee. "When you have a secret procedure to police yourself, people don't have confidence in it." Assistant Police Chief Jim Deschane did not oppose the ordinance but disputed the notion that the review -board process was secret. "To the degree it will give the public more confidence in the process, that's a positive step," he said. But Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Edwards vowed to fight the proposed ordinance. He said putting a citizen on the review board would introduce a political element into an internal hearing. The presence of a citizen, he said, could affect working conditions, disciplinary issues and confidentiality. The ordinance calls for the mayor to appoint a citizen to a three-year term as a nonvoting member of the Firearms Review Board. The citizen would attend every hearing and write an annual public report. Noland said the impetus for the change was the fatal shooting of Edward Anderson during a foot chase by a Seattle Police officer last year. Seattle Police Officer William Edwards shot Anderson in the neck after chasing him through a vacant lot following a domestic -violence call. The shooting prompted demonstrations and criticism of the police department. A public inquest jury, which is convened whenever someone is killed in a police shooting, ruled the incident was unintentional. Subsequently, the Firearms Review Board classified the shooting as accidental. I n12 5.14i99 9.20 AM t-he Seattle Times. I odaN's top Stones_ CiIicen nla% sit in on shooting cases help.:: rcw rs scat Ile Irates cumc\Ira: brow c rrn v I pars. u i e» , -n na Edwards was reassigned to another precinct and underwent retraining and recertification in use of his firearm. He also was required to undergo a psychological "fitness for duty" evaluation before returning to work. 3ut some people were not satisfied. Yesterday, three demonstrators held signs and shouted so loudly council members had to briefly recess the meeting. One sign said Anderson was "executed in cold blood" and called the ordinance a "pathetic response." Permission to repost or reprint any material on this site must be obtained by contacting Barbara Davis at The Seattle Times. (206)464-2310_ bdav-new a.seatimes.corn You have reached the end of the file. Mrs U 1,0WI`� Copyright l; 1997 llac Seattle Times Compnm Zot2 5 , 14'99 920 AM Ssh I,ako City Civilian Reeledv Board "N Si ccg...210 hllp.: U R vv _G. SICLt 10, SCUk W ea puhcc crb. Mntl Salt Lake City Civilian Review Board Marque aqui para ver este documento en espanol (An ordinance enacting chapter 72 of {tle 2 of the Salt Lake City Code.) Deedee Corradini. Mayor Ruben B. Ortega, Chief of Police Citizen Complaints Salt Lake City Police Department is committed to maintaining the highest Fessionalism of its officers. Chief Ruben B. Ortega realizes that the integrity of the Police lartment depends on the personal integrity of each employee. The Internal Affairs Unit of Police Department investigates citizen complaints of misconduct against Police lartment employees. if you feel that a police employee has not acted in a professional and rteous manner you are encouraged to contact the Police Department and talk with a ervisor or the Internal Affairs Unit, Salt Lake City Police Department • Dispatch 799-3000 • Internal Affairs Unit799-3351 ivilian Review Board you file a complaint against a police employee an investigation will be conducted. At the nclusion of the investigation a letter will be sent to you informing you of the final sposition of the investigation If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Police apartment you may request a review by the Civilian Review Board. The Civilian Review )ard was created by City ordinance to audit and review citizen complaints regarding induct of the police and to provide periodic reports and recommendations. request a review, you will need to do the following: The request must be filed within 30 days after you receive the determination of the Police Department. A request for review must be filed in writing, personally or by mail, at the Office of the Mayor or the Mayor's designee. • The request for review must include: I of 2 5 I4i99 9A9 AM Stilt Lake, e, UIN Cmhau Recte�� Hoard "N I"m g. nu In " " " ""...— "' ,.., , i.. .-- The name, address, and phone number of the person requesting the review. The approximate date the complaint was filed. The substance of the complaint The reason you are dissatisfied with the Police Department's decision. of the Mayor ity & County Bldg, 4306 51 South State St. Lake City, LIT 84111 you have any questions regarding the citizen complaint process or the Civilian Review raid, please contact the Internal Affairs Unit of the Police Uepai•tnient or the Office of the ayor, 535-7704. zofz 5 14,99 9.19 AM NYC Cieilian Complaint Rev'ION Board I lame Page hllp_:"NN c 1_nAC.IrY. a� nAcllm. uum owu u,nucuuui Oil ice of tip bMmi City Setif ces Px Agencies Biwooss Resouicts Attfact*as & Eve;nts What's New! SwO par SO New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board The Civilian Complaint Review Board is an independent, non -police city agency with the authority to investigate allegations of police misconduct filed by members of the public against New York City police officers. The Board I eceives, investigates, makes findings, and recommends discipline to the Police Commissioner on complaints alleging Force, Abuse of Authority, Discourtesy and Offensive Language. CCRB Information Who Can File a Complaint? -- What you need to know before filing a complaint. How to File a Complaint with the CCRB -- The various methods for filing a complaint with the CCRB. What Happens After You File a Complaint? -- Information on the CCRB investigative process. Alt —native Dispute Resolution -- Alternative means for resolving complaints. Thy, ilisciplinary Process -- Information on the disciplinary process. CCRB On -Line On -Line Complaint Form -- File a CCRB complaint on-line. On -Line Documents -- Download various CCRB reports and documents. (PDF files) Send Mail -- Write to the Executive Director. Job Opportunities at CCRB -- Apply for available positions at CCRB. CCRB Outreach Programs Community Outreach -- Various public affairs programs at CCRB. Last updated: ;I MY 11, 1999 M C ('1011on C'ontplafnt Revietr Board 40 Reclor Sireet, 2nd Floor Neu)ork, ,V110006 Phone. 1-800-341-C'CRB 771'7DD I-800-223-1760 About C( RB now 'I o What happens Cenmumih Complaint Komi SYC LINE; IIome Page \taror's 011ice Sen-ices Business Attractions What's Nerr Scarch I of I 5I499921 AM TNUnsuaY. MBv W. I NATION laaa city Press Cepren ]A National assault on racial profiling begins Many police New Jersey Stops and Searches wonder about TM-=—v'm^~ra"""p'^ w"-balyc' ama..rws ernlnwE abet na wropala wnaa. AkaeWbrrnrd all the fuss ; lose a °a barew YJa P BxaJr By , WaW WUbIrarolnra . 9 Y a 'Q n v, bra 4J9, a vxmsfW Ian MKI¢ kwyc adoy, dim M , . .P nignl letPat Iv n MunY Hill q Palkx YIIumIgbe dy Warn ® ® s_ I_ Wa,me Warn wuN <Ibe car ___ M1W aoPEed km uea H. ka av nkr ebvfiaelmue uE.Bmad& 1NY �' "� Q'r 1MY �t,PY'Air lira oM Ile all rcm rrvrrkma the �iSr�r�`xrrwr rrrrrar .. err flan ay. Wen she WIb1 Mm am aw M.a.-,m uoel on, c MumY nnr<IrNY m.I le w� m�awrn Topic: ve Nation lullll Den aaY farm an ear, rlulrmry rwmsa la gaaipriry, rd salerirm . —1b. baaaer M meir—oralrev, khpau i M Mvkan Civil Levrlies Urrian rnmnl iu valour IX —W pa1bv.Tatl.Y in. hwwa f1Q in fnbY a na tan is gJYams Cry Te wit silverew pony S,t gmsva V Garda J], wb a back. Mrtrim l]-oravt van. Gega.. HopKa by OklaMwa YY< m.}ve aM aubj ad m moe llxn ImaalgaagaruylW AuguA SuaNng CbQdl m nNwn ks lvnriinm, . bQrov " mac da-Slop in Nmea, mR ., vmedfy m de mit Ted road willbeel ary (ixN Iva Rem be <mdemN real, paBling aM arlmxa me m.aa IX da, mot. as km Mr axnia me D- Mk aay. wan cmwa Jr.. o- icn,. In Jruo4m11erylnor wwNIpvireI Mdx Ihpnmans a mmkaerW.W new dau.NAa ykae nq. Loin kw enfaamea , W Hnetme Blabelan Her . Murray's ee eanihM in etle YYe. Why all the tun? "Police are rot stopping people because of the Car they drive or the Cahn of their shin. Theystoppeople because ofpobable cause. if (pmffling) is going on a is the eseepdm to the rule." RobW T. Scully pma,bor. Natialal AanaaHan ,flour coo mayors aux. If Ipofbw k going ors n Y ire napim mtlre luk' Sx Hee Polite Llnef Wlliun JhUe a m uaaweteµ<. Ne earl MIW.NB WIn P.>v, rain IB will n pefiWy Yklpuu, hlaa u v an.nne m ov aalia vi] rWti M1iEe RtacW Ba as , . b, d bmamrarelvapum wlfnW rw 'E ve'R Yaw Yet Oe frli .W. an .cold w.E Ebsptiam, wMlx, OwutlN u rtvwY. Foe n inY'r m Ilbw RaPk a and mint x1M<M1 k wlp' lamne aM1aN lie adtilinn. Y Numllmio.'L' tlltlarlmq" ro aid 9 sank we wa. rapasi. dam cqk <l IY Rlly wYn ry ktlos w Sdn3 w in .w.Y x'e laa an a aMig.aa m ARp:na moan ell oars bmuse Me, a wLUNY table IW Nu m mY P«IW.'Wa Sv'a bers, Wa Denim' v q" uii Uu<k W ainzla b me ral— Rmi[E wB. 1'1. 4 osisYrni: laie <roefa at Mod mcars. G'mw Udaany Isw &hoot pofeua, Went Dee i a Irk W vv'YrWk iboas e. Bw Ctle, Ye aurM a PheNo Fq/mate: old Chants A —r ica Cnmt nua lwae Soaw. said vale' famuim s .vaikae a Eury is taker,ri.'nea.aan ll saw,. deParsearar amrfl royal onpn":baea1. 1992.t'i s, W. Smluel "d naBa v 1.000 IX b.lfi< bgabnee ni I.aBD nea®q officars WrenC.T.a Ya6au IXte MamY CaraaY. He, tlwaia'. .Pion 11eY Ywd tlnm ]B Iamrl k aseles otlPo�ck and NhpJe amity Almauve. Mwld. sy.aa Gran aaa:m maim all a sebmapnroluuual' fa ab maeaY&aarab solva elms I,[N .trio vats we ugSW wee Sim.uLi<uuum. A.Pnr(er .dM.kwtil Imrrda q ae,anu, de MayWtl set lbtaawane W alenrid.l9msm mimm�eSe Ltl ]Irenwa. awl ewe me ACLU . Co uad N Irexn 951 W nu of BYlnme. .fad Pia hPsangsWitim mar Mak M1i— ammvl fa 17 lama IXtle vtl& W ASmmIIX oar wtmweenbpee. New Jersey attorney general finds inequity in car searches B EMeN WtlM NW,firyran IGSN-A. no M mw ax d Ta<ial Lb, Airy' imdvN an imeatiEallm N New =Y sane Poke q IM1aI anao<f is—r sever, Me arKarm b uwwra .IkernE � po1117 by P'I'rt. 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"II is mve rroo IIW a Yang Grt ban will vanmil manes Man rldarl, wnlle m Minmx rMn writes Ian. prranlagerdpealai "The unpleasaR nuth is that profiling can be starts tically valid and yet have discrimirmlory real world randrs in, mast blacks who are stopped an suspi- cion (like most males) will be innocent people" W"l stab Sbravaml Aneummt Service aawxlen r basal. I Mn'r dank all Jeav price r>Reem art dEmwl in Inc utlnroal enBur fora ran urine ere a. a pn.y ba vuwkmn. y'r.r are va,g m wep in anMknx lib Ipea. Pb, iI t, slur <rt a erect deal t nmilr aml unrkamrne- nr l' mtummcnr wren anrk plweva JanercrW Ix da: WM1elka tlry bcline me alk8a- Dnaa n! v'rdes v rsiil P'um'rng. ella a.ev,r y —r, brow that JJ7 prte ,- ar maro bill.! L a fl, ft esc M F1 A—e Q tall. 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