RALLY AT NJ STATEHOUSE FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH STRONG CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARDS
RALLY AT NJ STATEHOUSE FOR POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH STRONG CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARDS
WHO: Our Revolution Trenton Mercer, the Trenton Anti-Violence Coalition, Our Revolution Monmouth, and other members of the New Jersey Communities for Accountable Policing Coalition. Also local/statewide allies i.e. Our Revolution New Jersey and Princeton Mutual Aid (FULL ORGANIZATION LIST BELOW)
WHAT: Rally for Real Police Transparency and Accountability: STRONG CCRBs NOW!
WHEN: Monday, June 21st, 2021, at 1 PM
WHERE: NJ State House Annex, 125 West State Street, Trenton
On Monday, June 21st, Our Revolution Trenton Mercer (ORTM), the Trenton Anti-Violence Coalition, Our Revolution Monmouth, and other local organizations and leaders will be joined by the larger New Jersey Communities for Accountable Policing (NJCAP) Coalition and other statewide allies on the steps of the State House. The rally will push for passage of a version of A4656/S2963 that will create STRONG Civilian Complaint Review Boards (CCRBs), to make our communities safer by holding police accountable. NJCAP members include organizations such as the People’s Organization for Progress, ACLU of NJ, Latino Action Network, NJ NAACP, Salvation and Social Justice, SEIU-32BJ, and many more around the state. Full sponsor list below.
The broad coalition is specifically calling for the passage of A4656/S2963 with four crucial elements CCRBs need to make our communities safer: (1) Full Subpoena Power; (2) Authority to do Independent and Concurrent Investigations, at the same time as any Internal Affairs investigation; (3) Community-driven character; (4) and a Disciplinary Matrix.
On the importance of these elements, local leader and cofounder of the Trenton Anti-Violence Coalition Maati Sekmet Ra clearly states: “Real police reform must include community oversight with subpoena, investigatory, and disciplinary powers. Anything less is status quo. Even more important, it [a CCRB without these powers] upholds policing practices that have led to harm and the loss of life and liberty in our communities.”
Pushback against strong reforms comes from the Fraternal Order of Police and their allies- including amendments introduced to limit subpoena power and delay concurrent investigations. Commenting on those opposing the bill, Joe Marchica, founder and chair of ORTM, asks: “Creating a review board is entirely voluntary for a town, city or county- no one is forcing these boards on anyone. And the data has conclusively shown police internal affairs processes do not hold accountable police officers who abuse their power. So if you have the best interests of our communities in mind, why WOULDN’T you want strong CCRBs?”
This rally builds upon local and county efforts advocating for a strong CCRB bill, including a press conference held Thursday on the steps of Trenton City Hall. There, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, County Commissioner Samuel Frisby, Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, and other local and statewide leaders urged legislators to pass a strong CCRB bill before the end of this session of the NJ Legislature. Other Mayors supporting this key bill include those in Plainfield, Jersey City, Highland Park, Morristown, and Asbury Park, among others.
Trenton activist Atalaya Armstrong, the primary organizer of the press conference, said “the bill puts power where it belongs: In the hands of the people.”
“Police accountability and transparency should be at the center of police reform,” said Trenton based Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson, a proud co-sponsor of the bill.
In addition to calling for a “strong” civilian review board bill, they are also calling for passage of The Police Transparency Bill (S2656 D-Weinberg/Bergen), to make police officer disciplinary records publicly available.
At the county level, ORTM worked with Chair Samuel Frisby and the Mercer County Board of Commissioners to pass resolutions urging the legislature to pass the Strong CCRB Bill and the Police Transparency Bill. This aligns with efforts around the state, in places like Jersey City and Highland Park, that have passed resolutions supporting both bills. [Resolutions on pg. 60 – 63: https://www.mercercounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/20471.]
The CCRB Bill, A4656, sponsored by Asw. Angela McKnight, may be brought to the floor of the Assembly on June 21st – the same day as the rally.
Advocates, including well over 25 organizations from around the state, do not want the compromises that have been introduced to weaken the CCRBs in the bill because they allow for the continued shielding of bad police officers from a weakened civilian investigatory process, preventing true transparency and accountability.
Our Revolution Monmouth Chairperson, Joan Farkas states” As the granddaughter of an officer killed in the line of duty, I am personally aware of how corruption endangers good police officers as well as innocent civilians. Strong CCRBs protect everyone.”
It remains to be seen if these ‘amendments’ will be taken out before the bill is put on the assembly floor for a vote.
Gusciora perhaps said it best when he simply said “We don’t want an antagonistic relationship with the police, but we don’t want any more George Floyds either.
Advocates posit that George Floyd may still be alive if the abusive record of officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murder for the killing, was public enough to hold him accountable for his previous actions.
The rally is Monday at the Statehouse Annex at 1pm…
