PRESS RELEASE: CPR Supports Family's Call For Independent Review of EPD

Thursday, October 26, 2006

PRESS RELEASE
Attention: For Immediate Release

CPR Supports Family's Call For Independent Review of EPD

The Coalition for Police Review (CPR) at their meeting on Thursday expressed their condolences to the family of Christopher Burgess, who was slain by an officer of the Eureka Police Department three days prior, and called for the implementation of changed standards and the immediate creation of a Police Review Commission for Eureka.

CPR is holding a press conference in coordination with the Burgess family at Noon on Friday, October 27 on the steps of the Humboldt County Courthouse, 824 Fifth Street in Eureka.

“We encourage the Eureka City Council, and in fact all local governments in Humboldt County, to quit stalling and get real, independent police review commissions in place for all regional law enforcement agencies,” CPR member Christina Allbright said. “It’s important that this issue be addressed by the candidates for Arcata, Eureka and county offices.”

CPR approached government officials in Eureka over six months ago with their police review proposal, which thus far has not been implemented nor placed on the agenda of a City Council meeting, although an ad-hoc public safety committee was formed to look at some related issues. At present this ad-hoc committee does not include any CPR members.

“We’re encouraged by the support expressed for police review by Eureka Mayor Peter LaVallee and from Arcata City Council candidates Michael Winkler and Jeffrey Schwartz, and we’d like to see all the candidates come out with their real views on this subject so vital to public safety,” CPR member Tracy Herrin said. “We reject out of hand the notion that internal affairs alone can conduct an independent investigation of themselves. We don’t believe a committee of retired officers provides a standard of impartiality required for an independent review of their former colleagues. Logically speaking, even law enforcement agencies should see the benefit of civilian review.”

In addition to these needed commissions, CPR will also detail proposals to improve training standards at the police academy, including sensitivity training, as well as to implement more specific and restrained “use of force” standards for EPD along with greater openness to community concerns.

“Officers aren't above the law and officers should be prosecuted if they've committed criminal acts,” Allbright said. “No public servant should have some special immunity from the law, and perhaps the department needs to look at their policy of placing people on leave regarding such incidents.”

Pictures of the injuries sustained in a previous encounter between Christopher Burgess and the EPD officer in question will be made available at the press conference, according to Margorie ‘Marty’ Burgess, the mother of the slain boy.

“The officer had no right to kill my son,” Marty Burgess said. “I don’t want to see this happen to any other teenagers in this situation.”

Members of the public and local organizations are encouraged to make public their endorsement of police review by signing the on-line petition at policereview.blogspot.com. Citizens will also have the opportunity to make their endorsement known with written petitions, which will be available at the special Eureka City Council meeting on Monday, October 30 at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall.

For more information, contact the Coalition for Police Review at 215-5385 or visit policereview.blogspot.com. All CPR meetings are open to members of the public, with the next one scheduled for Wednesday, November 1 at 6:00 p.m. at their joint office with the Redwood Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is located at 917 Third Street, Suite Q in Eureka.