Public Endorsements of Police Review
Public Endorsements
of the Police Review initiatives
84 individuals as of 11/16/07
Noel Adamson, Eureka
Christina Allbright, Eureka
Greg Allen, Arcata
Sebastian Bach, Eureka
Laura Benedict, Eureka
Dave Berman, Eureka
Paul Billups, Arcata
Richard Botzler, McKinleyville
Scott Brogan, Eureka
Mike Buettner, Eureka
Margorie Burgess, Eureka
Monty Caid, Eureka
Heidi Calton, Eureka
Terry Lee Clark, Arcata
John Conway, Arcata
Karen Croft, Eureka
Stephen Davies, Eureka
Wendy Davison, Eureka
Martha Devine, Arcata
Lou Dickinson, Eureka
Paul Dillon, Eureka
Robin Donald, Eureka
Paul Encimer, Piercy
Angelsea Everson, Eureka
Andrew Faueh, Arcata
Ellen Feighny, Arcata
Greg Geist, Eureka
David Giarrizzo, Eureka
Sarah Hamilton, Eureka
Martha Hart, Eureka
Eric Heimstadt, Eureka
Roger Herick, McKinleyville
Tracy Herrin, Eureka
Maria Hershey, Eureka
Derek Hilson, Arcata
Elaine Hogan, Arcata
Donald Holt, Eureka
Bob Huck, Eureka
James Karr, Eureka
Eric V. Kirk, Redway
Mark Konkler, Pine Hill
Michael Kirsche, Eureka
Pat LaCasse, Eureka
Kelly Lincoln, Eureka
Barbara Mahan, Eureka
Frank Mancinelli, Eureka
Xandra Manns, Eureka
Taunya Marcee, Eureka
Peter Martin, Trinidad
Noah Matthews, Arcata
Brian McCaughey, Arcata
Gillian McIntosh, Eureka
Heather Mehl, Arcata
Allyson Miller, Eureka
Larry Miller, Fortuna
Marcus Millwee, Arcata
Lucy Moerner, Eureka
Paul Moses, Rio Dell
Jack Munsee, McKinleyville
James Nolan, Eureka
Bruce Ogata, Fortuna
Larry Ogden, Shelter Cove
Richard Parker, Seely Creek
Ned Peck, Arcata
Leo Power, Redway
Cole Riding, Eureka
Jamie Rose, Eureka
Dean C. Ruld, Eureka
Nebi Sanderson, Eureka
Paul Sanderson, Eureka
Jack Shaffer, McKinleyville
Kara Simpson, Eureka
Sarah Elizabeth Solomon, Carlotta
Marshall Spalding, Eureka
Kim Starr, Eureka
James L. Stratton, Eureka
Dawn Tatom, Fairhaven
Stevo Vidnovic, Eureka
Christine Walden, Eureka
Shunka Wakan, Arcata
Royce Wofford, Arcata
Minerva Williams, Eureka
Beorn Zepp, Arcata Bottoms
Kat Zimmerman, Arcata
10 organizations as of 11/16/07
American Civil Liberties Union, Redwood Chapter
Arcata Greens
Civil Liberties Monitoring Project
Green Party of Humboldt County
Humboldt Buddhist Fellowship
Humboldt County Human Rights Commission
Humboldt Revolution
People Project
Redwood Curtain Copwatch
Redwood Sunshine
Waterfront Greens
1 newspaper as of 11/16/07
Humboldt Sentinel
posted by policereview @ 10:03 AM
14 Comments:
More emphasis on what law enforcement does not do and the role overburdened courts play in police incompetence and misconduct.
I laud the efforts of the Coalition for Police Review for what they are attempting to do and think focus on inadequacies that civilian overview might address might be broadened somewhat to enhance these efforts.
I have never personally witnessed police beating anyone. Being angry and too rough but not delivering a brutal bone shattering Rodney King style beating. What I have witnessed, and plenty of it, is law enforcement not responding to genuine emergencies, even telling the reporting parties to call them again when the shooting has stopped. I know of many, many cases of murders that went un investigated because "we don't investigate hippie murders". What we have all seen is homeless people, pot heads and political activists arrested and not receive a fair trial or not receive any trial at all being advised by a public defender to plea guilty in exchange for a lesser punishment rather that be convicted later regardless of factual evidence, guilt or innocence. Maybe in not so many words but that's how it is. The Humboldt County Public Defender handles well over 5,000 cases per year and has 10 attorneys. Their case load includes everything from murder to homelessness (AKA trespassing). If you are accused of murder you will get representation that is possibly adequate and takes up large quantities of their attorneys' time. For lessor charges, forget it, they cannot reasonably detract from the cases of those facing life in prison to spend the necessary amount of time on your charges stemming from sleeping in a doorway, being caught with a joint or rounded up with protestors while on your way to work.
Amnesty International has correctly cited the U.S. in the past for having courts that are "arbitrary and racist". The ACLU had a featured campaign on "driving while black or brown". The problem is well known. "Profiling" has degenerated from a science that used psychologists to analyze murder scene evidence to gain insight into the nature of the killer to a system of racism and dress code enforcement. People involved in the drug trade typically dress in 1950s style clothing, drive detailed newer vehicles and put "DARE" and "Sheriff's Association" stickers on them. Police lie for expediency, to cover their mistakes and, in some cases, just because they are corrupt, and their lies are accepted automatically by the court for expediency in the world's largest justice system. Our prisons hold almost twice as many people as China's and our per capita rate of incarceration is almost 50% greater than the next highest country's. (statistics)
I do not think civilian overview of police will be very effective without similar oversight of courts and decriminalization of petty offenses, poverty and political dissent to lessen the gigantic load which clogs our justice system now rendering it largely ineffective. I also think that civilian police review boards would be accepted by more people if their scope were enunciated to include the particular problems I have been talking about and given more teeth. One retired police officer spoke at a recent meeting sponsored by the CPR and acknowledged that there were some people who should not be working in law enforcement but were. Several notorious names come up very often in this county. The fact that they remain in law enforcement is both testimony to the failure of the present system and an indictment of the character of all who work in it that could be dealt with by such a public review board. Otherwise what do those in law enforcement have to hide from an effort to keep them honest and effective? Giving them the tools they need to do their job would surely happen if the public had a greater understanding of what problems exist for law enforcement. Getting rid of those individuals who do not belong in law enforcement would also improve the lot of honest cops in numerous ways.
How do I sign up as an endorser?
Check it out people! Now Michael Smith wants to shut you all down if you even mention his bloody name! We can look forward to swift action from our District Attorney to protect his poor beleagured Oregon-based supporter from the big bad bloggers and their terrorist free speech. Glenn Simmons would be proud.
Michael Smith Threatens Humboldt Blogosphere
Have any petitions been circulated yet? I get the feeling that this issue has died. Certainly severe repercussions can be expected for anyone who actually poses a serious threat to gross incompetence and corruption in the courts or law enforcement who "support" each other. "Freedom is not Free" as the right wing dogma-bots say; it has always involved risk and sacrifice and has never succeeded without organized cooperation. The greater fear is living without it like sheep or cattle who live to be exploited and slaughtered.
I wrote one letter to the Eureka Reporter concerning local corruption and urged people to sign these petitions if they appear. They didn't print this letter. They don't print letters that actually address corruption locally of course because they are a fascist publication by definition, that definition being corporate control of government with the government structure and it's legal system being based on enabling corporations to make large profits with a minimum of impediments rather than regulating human intercourse based on mutual respect. Rob Arkley has allowed certain non-threatening "liberal voices" on the page labeled "opinion" including some of my own while publishing blatantly slanted "news" in the rest of the paper ala Fox "News". I doubt it is my inclusion, at the end of my letter, of encouragement to support the establishment of an independent police review, that gives the editor such a fit (we have exchanged email...) but feel it is something they fear hence something we should work for. I would be happy to circulate petitions, if they are still viable, but live just outside the Eureka City limits and am therefore disqualified as I understand it. I might be able to offer some assistance however.
Both Gallegoes and Dikeman refused to support creation of such an overview by admitting both that what exists now is a bureaucracy and that it is ineffective when they both dismissed such a board consisting of representatives of diverse segments of society by saying would "just add another layer of bureaucracy". While I hope such an independent board would indeed remain independent and anchored in the reality of our communal existance I would reiterate the obvious fact, concerning the "layers of bureaucracy", which is that they are irreparably interlocked replacing any semblance of checks and balances with an intellectually inbred system of mutual enablement of incompetence and corruption. This usurpation of democracy is taking place throughout American culture and politics and is not static but an inherently downward spiraling phenomenon that has been rccognized and well known for thousands of years of human "civilization". There is no reason I can think of we cannot fight it here and our fear should be of losing this battle, not fighting it. Sounds like a good slogan, maybe I'll copyright it. : )
My letter to the Eureka Reporter.
You're welcome to add my name to the list. I live in Redway. Didn't know about this blog, but I'll link to it on my own.
I reviewed your list of endrosements for a police review. It appears as if you are pushing for a police review board in Eureka? If so it's kind of questionable why so many that sign up are from Redway, Petrolia, Mckinleyville, Trinidad, Fortuna, Arcata, Seely Creek, Shelter Cove, and Piercy (Mendocino County).
Eureka, Arcata, other incorporated cities and the County of Humboldt too. Police review should be implemented for every jurisdiction in our community. Any resident or business owner in our area is welcome to give their support.
Why support a police review commission in Eureka if you live in another city? Because those who come to Eureka to visit, shop or work, don't want to be shot either.
What a list of endorsements, non a biased person in the bunch.
Hey Terry Lee Clark, why not just stay oout of Eureka? Eureka has enough freaks.
Noel when you put flat ass lies in your statements you can't be taken seriously.
example ... you know the cops won't investigate the murder of hippies?? You are a loon, a whacko, a demented person.
Hi there anonymous at 1:14
If your post is supposed to convey the notion that law enforcement and their small group of supporters are professional, objective and free from contemptuous prejudice I don't think you are pulling it off. It is common knowledge that law enforcement does not investigate much of anything preferring to look busy targeting transients, pot heads and pro-democracy protesters of various sorts. All people with little means of defending themselves.
Why aren't David Cobb and his little brainwashed minions on this list? Oh yeah, David says he's for police review, but he wouldn't actually want to support any specific efforts unless he got to dominate, control and exploit them for his own profit.
I think the 'endorsement' list could be MUCH bigger if people knew it was here and they could add their names...
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home