7/28/2019 ReviewBoardFlyer Prop.
1/2
ThePoliceShouldNotPoliceThemselves!
CometotheCityCouncilonTuesdayOctober1st,
5:30PMtoShowSupportforGrowingaGood
CitizensPoliceReviewBoard
Theproposallocatedontheoppositesideofthisflyersetsouta
democraticprocessforgrowingagoodCitizensPoliceReviewBoard.It
willbepresentedatTuesdaysCityCouncilmeetingduringthepublicspeakingperiod.Theproposedprocesstriestoavoidafalseframingofthe
issuessuchas:
Arepoliceallgoodorallbad?Thisisafalseissue.Somearegoodandsomearenot.
Shouldwebefororagainstthepolice?Thisisafalseissue.Weneedthepolice.Wewanttomakethembetterandmorejust.
Theissuehereisforawellestablishedconstitutional
principleofseparationordivisionpower.Thereisaneed
foranon-policecontrolledoversightmechanismwith
sufficientpowertodoitsjobwell,thatdoesnotexistnow.
Asapracticalmatter,agoodCitizensPoliceReviewBoard
willhelpourpolicedepartmentbecomeabetterpolice
departmentandourcitytobecomeabettercity.
DistributedbythePoliceAccountability,CommunitysafetyandHealingInitiative
AprojectoftheBelovedCommunityCenterofGreensboro,NC
www.belovedcommunitycenter.orgPh.336-230-0001
7/28/2019 ReviewBoardFlyer Prop.
2/2
ThePoliceProfessionalismandAccountabilityCoordinatingCommittee
August26,2013
AProposalToGrowARespectedCitizensPoliceReviewCommission
Powercorrupts;AbsolutePowerCorruptsAbsolutely
WithintheGreensboroPoliceDepartmenttherehasbeentoomuchpowerconcentratedintoofew
hands,withtoolittleindependentoversightforfartoolong.Thissituationhasimpactedpoor
communitiesandcommunitiesofcolorindisproportionateways.Itshouldnotcomeasasurprisethat
thosepartsofthecommunitymostnegativelyimpactedhaveraisedtheirvoicestheloudest.
Greensboroshouldnotgoonyearafteryearwithlaw-suitspilingup,withembitteringandembarrassing
incidentsasintheBennettCollegeepisodeandwithhundredsofcasesnotbroughtbeforethecurrent
cityapparatusbecauseofthelackoftrust.WebelievethetimeisripeforGreensborotomakebold
changesinthisareathatwillmoveourcityforwardandperhapsmodelforothersaneffectiveapproach
toqualitysolutions.Tothatendweputforwardaninitialsetofideasthatwehopecanbedeveloped
intoaninitialplan/proposal.1.
TheBCC,citizensandgroupshavebeenmeetingandcarryingoutworkasanadhoc
Police
ProfessionalismandAccountabilityCommittee.Wehavebeenundertakingsomeofthe
functionsofacitizenspolicereviewcommission.Weintendtorefineourprocessandtodeclare
ourselvesasaninterimCitizensPoliceReviewCommission.
Wewouldcontinuedoingtheworkwehavebeendoing,i.e.receivingcomplaintsandprovidingguidancethatwedeemproper,necessaryandlegal.
Further,wewouldinformandcoordinatewithwhatevermechanismtheCity/HumanRelationsCommissionhasinwayswedeemhelpfultothepersonswithwhomweare
working.
TheinterimCitizensPoliceReviewBoardwouldcontinuetofunctionuntilwedemocraticallygrowapermanentCitizensPoliceReviewCommission.
2.
Weproposethataprocessbeundertakenassoonaspossibletobringtogethercommittedqualityrepresentativesfromtheuniversity/collegesector,thereligious/faithsector,the
neighborhood/communitysectorandtheCity/Police/HumanRelationssectors.Thissector
groupwouldworktogethertoexplorepastpracticesinGreensboro(whatworked/whatdid
not)andbestpracticesfromaroundthenationanddevelopaninitialdraftofwhatmakessense
forGreensboro.
3.
Afteraperiodofwork,thiscollectivesectorgroupcoulddevelopacreativeprocesstogrowtheknowledgeandethicalbasenecessaryforacommissiontofunctionwell;thatmightinclude
holdingseveralopenmeetingsineachdistricttoreceive,shareanddiscussinformationand
ideas.
4.
Atsomepointtheremightbeatownhallmeetingtobringtogetherthefivedistricts,buildingunderstanding,growingknowledgeandforgingtrust.
5.
EachdistrictthenmightbeequippedtoselectorelectacoupleofrepresentativestositonacitywideCitizensPoliceReviewCommission.
