Justice in Policing Toolkit | Building Momentum from the Ground Up

Courtesy of The Center for Popular Democracy 

15 Steps to Dismantling and changing #PoliceDepartments in your area that have been discriminatory and unjust.
Each point can be molded to shape your municipality’s particular needs, and most are doable through a focused and sustained bit of pressure on local elected officials. 

Here are 15 things your city can do right now to better promote justice in policing. Follow link for the 15 steps. 

http://www.justiceinpolicing.com/

Decriminalization

• For text of the proposed New York State Fairness and Equity Act, see: http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/api/1.0/pdf/bill/S7927-2013
• For text of California’s Proposition 47, see: http://vig.cdn.sos.ca.gov/2014/general/pdf/text-of-proposed-laws1.pdf#prop47
• For more information about the disproportionate impact of marijuana enforcement see ACLU’s “The War on Marijuana in Black and White”: https://www.aclu.org/files/assets/aclu-thewaronmarijuana-rel2.pdf
• For more information about over-criminalization: http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ib_31.htm#.VTL4eSHBzGc

Municipal Court Reforms

• For more information about the Department of Justice findings on the St. Louis County Municipal Courts: http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf
• For more information on municipal reforms enacted in St. Louis: http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/kwmu/files/MondaySept_8_2014_CCAnnouncement.pdf
• For more information on alternatives to monetary payment of fines including Timebanking, which is a network of people engaged in a reciprocal exchange of services, skills, and goods through a web in which the currency is an hour of time instead of money: http://timebanks.org/and http://danecountytimebank.org/projects/dctb-youth-court-community-justice
• For more information about alternatives to pre-trial detention and strategies that increase rates of court appearances and compliance: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/aap.pdf
• For more information on “structured fines” or fines based on ability to pay: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/156242.pdf

Immigration Detainer Policies

• New York City, NY, Ordinance (Dept. of Corrections and Police Dept.)(2014):
  http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1935438&GUID=0F5303CD-D849-4451-A082-6C9997FC782D&Options=ID|Text|&Search=detainer http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1935437&GUID=0A456911-54A6-41E5-8C5A-1D3B231D56AA&Options=ID|Text|&Search=detainer
• Cook County, IL, Ordinance (2011):
  http://www.ilrc.org/files/documents/07_-_cook_county_ordinance.pdf
• King County, WA, Ordinance (2014): http://www.ilrc.org/files/documents/king_co_ice_detainers_ordinance_-_amended_9-2-14.pdf
• California Trust Act (2013): http://www.ilrc.org/files/documents/04_-_california_trust_act_0.pdf
• For a map of current immigration detainer policies around the country and links to the text of individual policies: http://www.ilrc.org/enforcement

Diversion Programs

• For more on the various types of diversion programs see the Center for Health and Justice’s National Survey of Criminal Justice Diversion: http://www.napsa.org/diversion/library/No%20Entry-%20A%20National%20Survey%20of%20Criminal%20Justice%20Diversion%20Programs%20and%20Initiatives%20-%20CHJ%202014.pdf
• For more on the LEAD program in Seattle: http://leadkingcounty.org/
• For a copy of the MOU establishing the LEAD program in Seattle: http://www.scribd.com/doc/267032932/Seattle-Diversion-Program-MOU
• For more on Red Hook Community Justice Center: http://www.courtinnovation.org/project/red-hook-community-justice-center
• For other innovative programs see the Center for Court Innovation’s website: http://www.courtinnovation.org/

Racial Impact Tool for all Criminal Justice Legislation

• Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative’s Racial Equity Toolkit: http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/RSJI/RacialEquityToolkit_FINAL_August2012.pdf
• Race Forward’s Racial Equity Impact Assessments for Economic Policies and Budgets Toolkit: https://www.raceforward.org/practice/tools/racial-equity-impact-assessments-economic-policies-and-budgets
• Race Forward’s Racial Equity Impact Assessment Toolkit: https://www.raceforward.org/practice/tools/racial-equity-impact-assessment-toolkit
• For more information on how your jurisdiction can address racial inequity and implement Racial Impact Tools, please see the Local and Regional Government Alliance on Race and Equity: http://racialequityalliance.org/
• For more information on how cities use Racial Impact Tools, Seattle’s Race and Justice Initiative program is a helpful example of how a city integrates racial equity into their operations and processes: http://www.seattle.gov/rsji/

Bans on Bias Based Policing

• New York City, Community Safety Act (2013): http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1444267&GUID=BCB20F20-50EF-4E9B-8919-C51E15182DBF&Options=ID|Text|&Search=1080
• For more information about the history of racial profiling, national statistics and model language see the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) report “Born Suspect”: http://action.naacp.org/page/-/Criminal%20Justice/Born_Suspect_Report_final_web.pdf
• For more information about the impact of bias profiling on communities see Vera Institute of Justice’s study, “Coming of Age with Stop and Frisk”: http://www.vera.org/project/stop-question-and-frisk-study

Consent to Search

• Rhode Island Ban on Consent to Search (2004): http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/PublicLaws/law04/law04356.htm
  See Section 31-21.2-5
• Colorado Consent to Search Legislation (2010): http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2010A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/34BDAFC4BDBE212B872576A8002BC0D3?Open&file=1201_enr.pdf
• The proposed New York City “Right to Know Act”: http://changethenypd.org/right-know-act
• Cincinnati Police Department Consent to Search Procedure Manual: http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/permits-auctions-references/police-department-procedure-manual/
• For more information on the history, problems and discriminatory impact of consent searches see the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois campaign to end consent searches in Illinois: http://www.aclu-il.org/racial-disparity-in-consent-searches-and-dog-sniff-searches/

Community Oversight

• San Francisco Office of Citizen Complaints: http://nacole.org/wp-content/uploads/1-San-Francisco-City-Charter-Section-4.127.pdf
• Executive Order by Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, New Jersey for the establishment of a Civilian Oversight Board: http://www.ci.newark.nj.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ExecutiveOrder-CivilianComplaintReviewBoardwithRules_FINAL.pdf
• Los Angeles Charter and Administrative Code relating to the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners: http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/California/laac/administrativecode?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:losangeles_ca_mc
  See Article V, Section 573
• For information about effective models of community oversight and recommendations on best practices see “We The Protestors” Policy Brief on the topic: http://www.scribd.com/doc/254134795/Policy-Brief-2-Community-Oversight-of-Police
• For more information about scope and powers of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners see their website: http://www.lapdonline.org/police_commission/content_basic_view/900
• For background and information about the Seattle Community Police Commission see: http://www.seattle.gov/policecommission
• For a detailed description of oversight agencies across the country see: https://nacole.org/nacole-resources/detailed-oversight-agency-profiles/

Data Reporting

• Maryland State Law requiring the collection and sharing of data for all traffic stops: http://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2005/gtr/25-113.html
• Newark Police Department Order on Stop-and-Frisk Reporting:
  https://www.aclu-nj.org/files/6513/7338/2486/2013_07_09_snf.pdf
• For more information on Department of Justice recommendations and best practices around data collection see the DOJ’s “A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection and Systems”: http://justice.utah.gov/Documents/Research/Race/DOJResourceGuide.pdf
• For more information on the Stolen Lives Project: http://stolenlives.org/

Body Cameras

• California AB 65, Creating grant program for body cameras: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB65
• California AB 66, Regulating officer use of body cameras: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB66
• For examples of model state legislation see the Harvard’s Black Law Student’s Association report, Independent Lens: Toward Transparency, Accountability, and Effectiveness in Police Tactics Model State Legislation for Body Worn Cameras: http://www.charleshamiltonhouston.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Independent-Lens-Cvr-Guts.pdf
• For an analysis of body camera implementation, see the ACLU brief, Police Body-Mounted Cameras: With Right Policies in Place, a Win For All: https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/assets/police_body-mounted_cameras-v2.pdf
• For arguments against body camera implementation, see the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition brief, Body Cameras Have Not Helped Enforce Accountability Among Various Police Departments: http://stoplapdspying.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Body-Camera-Fact-Sheet-Jan-2015-1.pdf
• And LAPD Spying Coalition brief, Body-Worn Cameras: An Empty Reform to Expand the Surveillance State: http://stoplapdspying.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Stop-LAPD-Spying-Coalition-Report-on-Use-of-Body-Cameras-by-Law-Enforcement-April-2015.pdf
• For more information on CopWatch programs and how to establish one in your community, see Grassroots Thinking manual:
  http://grassrootsthinking.com/2015/04/23/how-to-put-together-a-community-cop-watch-program/

Special or Independent Prosecutors

• HR 5830: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/5830.
• For more information about efforts to establish state-level special prosecutor policies, visit the National Conference of State Legislatures website: http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/law-enforcement.aspx
• For a fact sheet on establishing a permanent special prosecutor’s office, see WeTheProtestors’s policy brief: https://www.scribd.com/doc/254133568/Policy-Brief-1-Special-Prosecutor
• For more information about the Ohio Student Association’s work: http://www.ohiostudentassociation.org/

Inspectors General or Oversight Commissions

• New York City Inspectors General Legislation:
  http://legistar.council.nyc.gov/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=1444266&GUID=EAB137A1-CEDE-434A-AC63-FE91DF78C337&Options=ID|Text|&Search=1079
• Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, Policies and Authority relative to the Inspectors General:
  http://www.oiglapd.org/documents/policies&authority.pdf
• The Brennan Center for Justice has a number of resources on Inspectors General Offices, specifically around the need for an NYPD Inspectors General: http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/Justice/NYPDInspectorGeneral-web.pdf
• For more information about existing Inspectors General Offices, their scope of power and their past and present investigations see the following websites:
• The Seattle Community Police Commission: http://www.seattle.gov/community-police-commission
• The Los Angeles Inspectors General: http://www.lapdonline.org/police_commission/content_basic_view/1076
• The Washington D.C. Office of Police Complaints: http://policecomplaints.dc.gov/
• The New York City Inspectors General: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doi/html/inspector/inspector-general.shtml

Demilitarize Local Police Forces

• Recently passed New Jersey State Legislation requires law enforcement agencies obtain the permission of local governments before obtaining equipment through the 1033 program:
  http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bills/BillView.asp?BillNumber=S2364
• Proposed legislation in New Hampshire, while limiting the ability to obtain new military grade equipment does not call for restricting the use of previously purchased military grade equipment. Potential legislation may benefit from such a provision:
  http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2014/HB1307.html
• For more information on the nationwide phenomenon of militarization see the American Civil Liberties Union Report, “War Comes Home: The Excessive Militarization of American Police”: https://www.aclu.org/report/war-comes-home-excessive-militarization-american-police

Use of Force

• Seattle Police Department Manual, Title 8:
  http://www.seattle.gov/police-manual/title-8
• For more information about promising practices to limit police use of force, see the PolicyLink and Advancement Project report, Limiting Use of Force: Promising Community-Centered Strategies: http://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/pl_police_use%20of%20force_111914_a.pdf

Improved Training

• Illinois Police Training Act:
  http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=731&ChapterID=11
• New Jersey Police Training Act:
  http://www.state.nj.us/lps/dcj/njptc/pdf/njsa52_17b-69-2.pdf
• Connecticut SB 1089:
  http://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/TOB/s/pdf/2015SB-01089-R00-SB.pdf
• For more information about police trainings, see the PolicyLink and Advancement Project series of briefs, Beyond Confrontation: Community-Centered Policing Tools: http://www.policylink.org/equity-tools/beyond-confrontation-community-centered-policing-tools

Organizing 101

• For a comprehensive review of the steps necessary to turn protest into policy, advocates should download the PolicyLink handbook, Organized for Change: The Activist’s Guide to Police Reform, available at http://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/ORGANIZEDFORCHANGE_FINAL.PDF

Beyond Policy

• Here is a template of a Mayoral Pledge to end police violence: http://www.policylink.org/equity-tools/policing-mayoral-pledge
• The peacemaking program at the Red Hook Community Justice Center uses traditional Native American practices to resolve disputes that originate in either the justice system (in the form of a court case) or in the community. Peacemaking sessions, which are facilitated by trained peacemakers from the community, are designed to enable those affected by the dispute to “talk it out” and reach a consensus agreement for restitution and repair: http://www.courtinnovation.org/project/peacemaking-program
• The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) works with licensees and affiliates around the world to make certain restorative practices are presented in a culturally appropriate manner and that programs are affordable and sustainable within the framework of local needs and resources: http://www.iirp.edu/
• The Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth Program works to mitigate the consequences of punitive school and juvenile justice policies by promoting institutional shifts toward restorative approaches that actively engage families, communities, and systems to repair harm and prevent re-offending: http://www.rjoyoakland.org
• Audre Lorde Project’s The Safe Neighborhood Campaign seeks to empower community members to be proactive in preventing anti-LGBTST violence, intervene when violent situations arise, and build stronger relationships between LGBTST people of color, our allies and the community as a whole: http://alp.org/community/sos
• CURE Violence is a state supported program which seeks to use community members to deter and deescalate violent situations in communities. Many organizations have noted that once programs are state-sponsored they may be co-opted or include undesirable punitive consequences: http://cureviolence.org/
• Rose City Cop Watch “Alternatives to Policing” https://rosecitycopwatch.wordpress.com/alternatives-to-police/
• Listing of local programs from across the country: http://www.derailthejail.org/site_derail/Alternatives.aspx

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