Presentation and Discussion: Federalization of Oakland Police

Dear friends,

Berkeley Copwatch is inviting you to an informal discussion of the issue of the possible federalization of the Oakland Police department,. We think it is important for us to think carefully about what this would mean for the community and what our position should be relative to it.

Please share this invite with anyone who you think is involved with the struggle for police accountability and would benefit from this type of consideration..

We look forward to seeing you there.

Yours in struggle,

Andrea Prichett

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Presentation and Discussion: Federalization of Oakland Police
Impact and Consequences for the Community

It is possible that based on the history of Oakland Police misconduct, a federal judge might finally decide to put Oakland Police department under some type of federal supervision. The department will be back in court to answer to judge Felton Henderson this month. This could have dramatic impacts on the way our community experiences and has to deal with police. Learn about the history of the Consent Decree and other efforts to put OPD in check. Presentation by James Chanin, one of the lawyers who sued the OPD in the Oakland Riders case and helped to write the Consent Decree that the OPD is supposed to be abiding by. Police accountability activists encouraged to attend this important strategy discussion.

NIEBYL-PROCTOR LIBRARY
6501 TELEGRAPH AVE. (Near 65th St.)
OAKLAND
SUNDAY JANUARY 15th
2-4pm

Sponsored by Berkeley Copwatch

      Call 510-548-0425 or Berkeleycopwatch@yahoo.com


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Federalization of the Police Meeting Structure
(Andrea will facilitate)

Assumptions:
1. Activists attending have some experience in police accountability
2. This is an educational conversation- no decisions necessary
3. Federalization is a mixed idea: some like it/ some don't
4. We want to have a united approach or at least understand each others concerns better as we move forward. Reform or abolition?

We will print/provide copies of articles about the settlement/federalization

1. James Chanin will present (20 minutes)
a. History of the consent decree and what is happening now
b. What are the concerns of the judge?
c. What has federalization looked like in other places (New Orleans/New Haven/LA)
d. Q & A for clarity (10 min)

2. Discussion (speakers have up to 3 minutes to respond)
a. Based on our experience, do we believe that the federalization will improve the quality of policing?
b. If yes, what is the community's message to the judge? What are our concerns?
c. If no, we don't think it would be better, why and what action should we take instead?
d. Do we support reforms of the police? If no, what do we tell the people who are suffering from misconduct?
e. Do we support gathering information independent of the police and/or feds and police review boards? What do we do with data? Who do we take it to?