[Peace-discuss] Re: [CPRB] NG editorial

[Morton K. Brussel]

I sent the N-G the following letter:

The correct response to the views of a letter supporting “law  
enforcement personnel” by John Norwood is that law enforcement  
personnel can engage and have engaged in criminal or wrongful acts  
when apprehending or pursuing suspects. That is why their acts need  
to be monitored by civilian authorities such as civilian police  
review boards.

Norwood writes “I couldn’t care less about how criminals are  
treated”. This brings to mind the horrors of  Abu Ghraib and  
Guantanamo, not to mention brutal and criminal acts occasionally  
committed at home by police authorities. Evidently, Norwood believes  
all who are apprehended by law authorities are guilty of crimes; they  
are criminals. It is either inconceivable to him, or else from a  
totalitarian mindset, that those apprehended ought to be presumed  
innocent until proven otherwise in a fair court of law. But perhaps  
even worse, he believes that there should be no standards of correct  
police behavior in treating those under their jurisdiction.

With reference to whether a police review board might be allowed to  
have as members either felons or former police officials, I would  
suggest that both might have valuable insights, or prejudices, to  
offer in evaluating a case brought to their attention. However, there  
is no real equivalence here: The police point of view already would  
be amply present in cases brought before the board, as police are  
naturally involved in such cases, whereas the perspective of someone,  
even a former felon, who has been subject to police action adds a  
useful dimension not already present. I would hope that the Urbana  
City Council will consider these issues carefully, not with the  
prejudices manifest in Mr. Norwood’s communication.

--mkb



On Jul 15, 2007, at 2:13 PM, Brian Dolinar wrote:

> Anybody want to respond to this?
> Anybody care about criminals?
>
> BD
>
>
>
>
>
> Stop council from harassing police
>
> Sunday July 15, 2007
>
> Wake up, people. The Urbana City Council and your mayor are at it  
> again.
>
> They have been in the process for some time of hatching a power  
> play to further restrict and harass our law enforcement personnel  
> who are already doing an excellent job. Personally, I couldn't care  
> less about how criminals are treated.
>
> It is their desire to form a committee of civilians who will handle  
> complaints from miscreants about the conduct of police business.  
> These people will not be required to possess even a modicum of law  
> enforcement knowledge or training.
>
> Get this. Their proposal will bar anyone with a law enforcement  
> background from serving on this board, but anyone with a felony  
> record will have the right to be chosen to serve.
>
> There are only two members of the council who are opposed to this  
> move, Lynne Barnes and Heather Stevenson, and their logic has been  
> stonewalled at every turn by the liberal nannies we have running  
> our city.
>
> For anyone who hasn't the time to check the voting records of  
> people on the council, call me and I will give you a detailed  
> rundown. It will affect your vote in the next election. Please vote.
>
> JOHN NORWOOD
>
> Urbana
>
> Find this article at:
> http://www.news-gazette.com/news/opinions/letters/2007/07/15/ 
> stop_council_from_harassing_police
> Comments
>
>
>
> Contents of this site are © Copyright 2007 The News-Gazette, Inc.  
> All rights reserved.
>
>
>
> -- 
> Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
> 303 W. Locust St.
> Urbana, IL 61801
> briandolinar at gmail.com
> _______________________________________________
> CPRB mailing list
> CPRB at lists.chambana.net
> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/cprb

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