[CPRB] Today's DI

[Ricky Baldwin]

Agreed.

I'm scheduled, by the way, to ecord my WILL commentary
next Thursday.  Anybody else want to jump in?

Letters to the NG would also be helpful, folks!

Ricky

--- Esther Patt <epatt at uiuc.edu> wrote:

> Please do not criticize them for the "whining"
> comment.  This is a super-positive editorial.  I'd
> already forgotten that comment was in the editorial
> until I read this message.  When something in the
> paper is 99% positive, it's unwise to remind readers
> of the 1% that wasn't.  Letters thanking the DI edit
> board -- or just expressing agreement with their
> position -- will keep the issue in the press with a
> positive spin.
> 
> Esther Patt
> 
> ---- Original message ----
> >Date: Wed, 2 Aug 2006 13:46:55 -0700 (PDT)
> >From: Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>  
> >Subject: [CPRB] Today's DI  
> >To: coalition policereview
> <cprb at lists.chambana.net>
> >
> >Hey folks-
> >
> >Anybody want to write a letter th anking the DI for
> >their enlightened opinion (dfn: agreeing with us)? 
> Or
> >calling them on the whining thing?  Here's our
> chance!
> >
> >Ricky
> >
> >Daily Illini p.7
> >EDITORIAL: Board could restore faith in Urbana cops
> >Citizens police review board would investi gate
> >complaints against cops, increase accountability
> >Posted: 8/2/06
> >
> >Given the state of affairs in the Urbana police
> >department, the proposed citizens review board
> could
> >only strengthen both the force and citizens'
> >confidence in their law enforcem ent officers.
> >
> >Creating a review board, discussed at last Monday's
> >public hearing, would work to prevent situations
> like
> >the alleged rape of Amber Grohall by uniformed
> police
> >officer Kurt Hjort last year. Hjort had a history
> of
> >at least three previo us incidents of sexual
> misconduct
> >while on the job, a red flag that a review board
> would
> >be likely to catch.
> >
> >The main responsibility of the board would be to
> >investigate the validity of complaints against
> police
> >officers. But a secondary result wou ld be an
> increase
> >in the accountability of the police force to the
> >community they serve - a goal that the department
> >seems to have forgotten.
> >
> >Though some of the comments heard at last week's
> >hearing may have sounded like whining, many
> included
> >leg itimate concerns. These concerns were not just
> over
> >a single incident of individual misconduct but the
> >police force as a whole. For instance, both Urbana
> and
> >Champaign face accusations of discrimination
> against
> >their traffic stop practices. A review b oard would
> a
> >proactive step in resolving such accusations and
> the
> >general mistrust of law enforcement authorities
> that
> >many citizens seem to possess.
> >
> >The fact that the police force is showing
> resistance
> >to the proposal is troubling. As public serva nts,
> >police sworn to uphold the law should have nothing
> to
> >hide from the people of Urbana.
> >
> >One argument against the board, that officers
> already
> >have a difficult job with a large amount of
> paperwork,
> >holds little water. As a non-binding entity, the
> >review board is unlikely to create additional red
> tape
> >for cops. The additional inconveniences that
> >individual officers might face because of a review
> >board should seem like small sacrifices to maintain
> >the reputation of Urbana police as protectors and
> >servants.
> >
> >Police officers do have a difficult job, and they
> >should be respected for their work. But a review
> board
> >is not meant to make a good cop's job harder; it is
> >meant to eliminate the bad cops. More than
> anything,
> >it is meant to forge th e one tool essential to
> making
> >the system of law enforcement work well: trust
> between
> >officers and the citizens they are sworn to serve. 
> >
> >© Copyright 2006 The Daily Illini
> >
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> ∞
> 


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