[Imc-radio] Police Community Relations

[Zachary C. Miller]

It'd be great if IMC reporters could cover Tuesday's forum on
Community Police Relations at the Urbana City Council Chambers at 400
S. Vine at 8pm. 

In 2000, after the Nader campaign was over, I was part of a small
group of Greens and NAACP members that launched a campaign to start a
citizen's police review board in Champaign, Urbana, and Champaign
County. This group has been working since then for 5 years gathering
petition signatures, getting endorsements from organizations and
churches, gathering the stories of those who have had run ins with the
police, and lobbying city council members.

This Tuesday, we're having a coming out party. In the Urbana City
Council chamber and broadcast live on UPTV (insight cable channel 6)
we'll be having a community forum to discuss community/police
relations. It is vitally important to the political success of this
project that we pack the council chambers. Many candidates for city
council will be at this meeting and if we can show them that there is
a lot of community support for this initiative that will have a MAJOR
impact on our ability to make a citizen police review board reality in
Urbana.

Please come on out to this meeting to observe, to discuss, to tell
your story, to learn about the issues, to meet city council
candidates. The primary election in Urbana is February 22nd so it's an
important time to be gathering information on this stuff.

Forum on Community/Police Relations
When: February 8 at 8PM
Where: Urbana City Council Chambers, 400 S. Vine, Urbana

Be part of a live discussion on the Community/Police Relations in the
city of Urbana. Speakers will discuss the current strengths and
weaknesses of the relationship between police and the community in
Urbana, suggest alternatives, and encourage citizens to get
involved. The Coalition for Citizen Police Review will share the
results of a survey of city council candidates on their view on
Citizen Police Review Boards. Candidates from all Urbana City Council
races are invited to speak to voters and share their views on this
topic.

Speakers include

- Mark Krug, Director of Court Diversion Service
- Carol Ammons, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice
- Rev. Zernial Bogan
- Ricky Baldwin, Volunteer for the Coalition for Citizen Police Review.

Anyone is welcome to attend. The audience will be encourage to share
their stories and comments. The forum will be taped and played at a
later date on UPTV.

More information on Citizen Police Review Boards is available at
http://www.prairienet.org/cprb

-- 
Zachary C. Miller - @= - http://zach.chambana.net/
IMSA 1995 - UIUC 2000 - Just Another Leftist Muppet - Ya Basta!
 Social Justice, Community, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Feminism,
 Sustainability, Responsibility, Diversity, Democracy, Ecology