[Peace-discuss] Champaign CPRB

[Brian Dolinar]

The News-Gazette.com

Police review board needed in Champaign
Tuesday November 14, 2006

The different perceptions of the police in the black and white
community is reflected in editorials and letters in The News-Gazette.
The proposal of a citizen police review board in Champaign has
provoked dubious responses from The News-Gazette editorial staff and
from local resident Michael Cook.

Their argument is that no abuse occurs in Champaign and that the
existing complaint process is fine.

A recent incident where a black youth was thrown against the trunk of
a squad car outside of a party at the Iota house on the night of a hip
hop concert by Ludacris is just one example of abuse. Other stories of
massive police presence and routine misconduct outside the Nargile
club, patronized by many black youth, after 2 a.m. are becoming more
frequent.

The Champaign police are currently named in a $15 million lawsuit
filed by Martel Miller and Patrick Thompson, who had their video
equipment illegally seized while trying to document police misconduct.
They were charged with felony eavesdropping.

Indeed, it was Miller who came to the assistance of the young man who
was abused outside the Iota house. Miller and the young man were
thrown out of the Champaign police station when they tried to file a
complaint about the incident.

No one needs to be trained in police procedure to know these incidents
of abuse are wrong. Champaign needs to follow the example of Urbana
and pass an independent citizen police review board.

BRIAN DOLINAR

Urbana

-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com