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NEW YORK REVIEW BOARD CRITICIZED BY ITS CREATORS The New York Civil Liberties Union, one of the driving forces behind the creation of the Civilian Complaint Review Board [CCRB] in New York City, released a report in December saying the board had "failed in its mission to provide meaningful oversight of police practices" (Associated Press, December 30, 1999). The report notes that only about 1500 of 15,000 complaints (about 10%) were sent to the Police Commissioner to take discilpinary action, and that only 371 of those cases resulted in discipline (about 2.5% of all the complaints). The AP quotes Norman Siegel, director of the NYCLU, as saying "It's thousands of New Yorkers ...especially African-Americans and Latinos, especially young men, who, on a daily basis, are harassed by police officers, and there is still no effective mechanism to get accountability and justice and fairness for the victims of police abuse." He ultimately blames Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Police Commissioner Howard Safir for not taking the mandate of the CCRB seriously. In the wake of the Abner Louima sodomy case and just prior to the 1998 elections, Giuliani assembled a task force to look at improvements that could be made. After he was re-elected, Giuliani ignored the findings of the task force. We don't know which is scarierNew York City as a police state, or the possibility that Giuliani could be elected as a U.S. Senator and push his views on the rest of America.
CINCINNATI CITY MANAGER URGED TO CONSULT REVIEW BOARD AFTER SHOOTING CASE The Cincinnati Citizens Police Review Board [CPRB] was still reviewing the case of an unarmed man who was shot by police officer Brent McCurley when City Manager John Shirey "decided not to fire or suspend" McCurley (Cincinnati Post, January 4). Apparently, the City Council wants to compel the City Manager to wait for recommendations from the board before imposing discipline, but the city's charter doesn't allow for that to happen. The Review Board, which began working in late 1999, has concerns about changing the charter and risking a situation in which the City Manager would stop cooperating with them. The Deputy City Solicitor suggested that language be added "urging" the City Manager to wait for the CPRB's recommendations without mandating the action. Such monkey wrenches in police accountability plans are becoming increasingly common, as evidenced in Eugene in 1998. There, activists had to first try to change the city charter just to allow City Council to establish a review board (see PPR 14). That effort failed by a narrow margin, and Eugene still does not have a police review board. Nonetheless, it is encouraging that the Cincinnati review board has purview over police shootings, since this is one power Portland's PIIAC needs in order to be effective.
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April, 2000
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Portland Copwatch Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.
People's Police Report
#20 Table of Contents
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