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Quick Flashes PPR #25 Pro-Police Parade Permit Process Perpetuated In September and October, City Council made changes to the system for obtaining permits for public events. To their credit, they adopted many suggestions which came from the May Day Coalition, the ACLU, and Peace and Justice Works. These reforms include the removal of permit fees and the waiving of insurance requirements for smaller events. However, much power still remains in the hands of the police. They will have the ability to revoke permits on the spot so long as they "attempt" to contact the event organizers first to resolve any problems. Originally, the City asked that large activities provide event monitors, and give those people's names and contact information to the police. As revised, there can be a head count of the monitors to satisfy the police that enough are present to conduct a march, leaving the City to decide how many monitors a march needs. A number of ambiguities remain in the City Code and Administrative Rules. For instance, it is unclear from the Rules whether organizers of a march of over 200 people which does not have animals (other than dogs) or vehicles (other than bicycles) have to pay $585 for a permit (they don't). It similarly seems that the police can shut down or modify a march 15 minutes before an event's start time if the predicted number of participants are not there, since the Code gives police discretion "within" 15 minutes. However, the City claims they only invoke this clause beginning 15 minutes after the proposed start time. In sum, the Council seems more interested in regulating free speech than encouraging it. POLICE MISCONDUCT: NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY Cincinnati Police Officer Acquitted in Shooting Death On September 26, Cincinnati police officer Stephen Roach was found innocent of negligent homicide and obstructing official business in the shooting death of Timothy Thomas, an unarmed, 19-year-old black man. The April 7 shooting sparked three nights of uprisings (labelled "rioting") which resulted in dozens of injuries and more than 800 arrests. Thomas was the 15th African American man killed by Cincinnati police since 1995. Roach is the first Cincinnati police officer to go to trial on charges of killing a suspect in any of those cases. Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Ralph E. Winkler ruled on the case, heard without a jury at Roach's request. Roach did not testify. Winkler said, "Police Officer Roach's action was reasonable on his part, based on...the information he had at the time in that dark Cincinnati alley." Winkler went on to add that Roach had an "unblemished" record whereas Thomas was wanted on outstanding warrants (Oregonian, September 27). After hearing the verdict, Thomas' mother Angela Leisure said, "Why is it that officers are not responsible for their acts when other citizens are?... [U]ntil serious changes are made in our police department, this will happen again." She may be right: In a 23-page report issued the week of October 22nd, the Department of Justice (DoJ) told Cincinnati "it should make sweeping policy changes to prevent the unreasonable use of police force" (Reuters, October 26). The report was issued by a task force formed on the heels of the April uprisings. The report found that Cincinnati Police Division "regulations on the use of force were ill-defined, allowing for possible abuse." The CPD could face legal sanctions if it does not implement the DoJ's recommendations.
Unlucky 13: Scandal in Miami Involves Unjustified Shootings, Conspiracy of Silence Thirteen current and former Miami police officers have been indicted by U.S. attorneys for shooting unarmed people and then conspiring to cover up their actions by planting guns at the crime scenes. All of the officers were members of SWAT, narcotics, or special crime-suppression teams. According to U.S. Attorney Guy A. Lewis, the officers "lied about what they saw. They falsified reports. They tampered with crime scenes. They stole property." Federal charges include "conspiracy to violate the civil rights of citizens of Miami, obstruction of justice, and committing perjury before a grand jury." A guilty verdict could mean five to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine (Oregonian, September 8). |
December, 2001
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People's Police Report
#25 Table of Contents
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