[CPRB] RE: [Peace-discuss] CPRB
Esther Patt
epatt at uiuc.edu
Thu Jul 19 15:32:38 CDT 2007
Two incorrect pieces of information about the proposed ordinance keep being repeated in letters to the editor (and in Robert's message to which I am responding).
1. The claim that convicted felons can serve on the Review Board is incorrect. The text of the Ordinance explicitly excludes convicted felons. Regardless of the nature of the felony, how long ago it was, or in what jurisdiction or state it occurred, the mere fact of being a convicted felon prevents a person from serving.
2. The claim that there will be no law enforcement perspective on the board is incorrect. The Ordinance provides for the Chief of Police to appoint a representative of the Police Department (Chief would probably choose a Lt.)to staff the board. According to the Ordinance, that person will sit in on all closed sessions for the purpose of advising the board about police procedures. At a task force meeting, this was an idea proposed by Tracy Parsons of the Urban League and Chief Biley liked it because he thought -- from a police perspective -- it would be better to have one of his officers in the closed session as an advisor explaining URBANA PROCEDURES to all 7 members, than to have one of the 7 members be a retired law enforcement official from another jurisdiction who might not be familiar with Urbana procedures.
The board itself -- all 7 members -- should be people who are neutral, like a jury. They should neither be people who have a vested interest in protecting the police nor people who have a vested interest in "getting" the police. That's why some members of the mayor's task force who drafted the proposed ordinance felt no law enforcement people should be among the 7 members and why the police felt no convicted felon should be among the 7 members.
Beyond these 2 restrictions, the mayor must endeavor to select people whose interest is community relations and community improvement and who are fair and unbiased. I suggested, though it's not in the ordinance, that former judges, former council members and any other people who have had past relationships with police officers not be appointed because it would be hard for them to be neutral, even if they endeavored to be fair.
Esther Patt
---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:21:14 +0000
>From: "Robert Dunn" <prorobert8 at hotmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [CPRB] RE: [Peace-discuss] CPRB
>To: epatt at uiuc.edu, jbw292002 at gmail.com, peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net, cprb at lists.chambana.net, caevans2 at hotmail.com
>
> i have read it, and spoke with Iowa Cities chief of
> police. I was wrong. I admit that. Yes, i was
> involved with the Green Party. I have since changed.
> I am now a Republican, and even many local Repubs
> are challenging me on some of my views. I did an
> internship with Arnold Schwarzeneggers reelection
> campaign, i also helped an organization of socially
> progressive Republicans. These are mainly young
> republicans who are alienated from the far right.
> They are pro-choice, pro-equal rights, they are
> conservative on mainly economic issues. They want to
> bring the GOP back to what it used to be before the
> "theocrats" and "neocons" took it over.
>
> Right now, i am going through a lot of personal
> stuff. No, i am not anti-"progressive", but
> sometimes you have to admit that sometimes, the Left
> can and is wrong!
>
> This whole antagonism between me and everyone on
> this list started when Paul Mueth noticed that i was
> marching with the YRs, which i was invited to do! He
> gave me this smirk, and the next day, im flooded
> with emails about a blog that i sent. The blog was
> responding to all of the letters complaining about
> AWARE and the Left. All i said was that if people
> think that they are not being represented well and
> that their voice was not heard, they should get
> organized. Hmm, that is really threatening to some
> people apparently!
>
> I will admit i was wrong, however my main concern
> that i will address to the council is that there is
> NO law enforcement perspective on this CPRB and the
> concern is more about convicted felons
> representation.
>
> I mean no one ill will, but i want people to know
> that i have gone door to door in my ward, Ward 5,
> and asked if they know whats going on in Council,
> many do not know who their Alderman is or what is
> being voted on or not! When stuff like this is being
> voted on, just getting opinion from on section of
> Urbana is not good. Im sorry that the Northend has
> such negative views of our police, but that is just
> one section!
>
> btw, kudos to Sascha for bringing wireless to
> downtown! I would have supported this, even as a
> Republican.
>
> That is the problem as well with having partisan
> elections for local races. People just look for the
> R or D or even G after their name, and make up their
> minds before giving the person a chance to share
> his/her ideas! I would like for the City Council to
> go to nonpartisan elections which the majority of
> Cities including Champaign go by. This is one area
> where Urbana is behind everyone else.
> Would you support nonpartisan elections? That is one
> of my issues where i hope we can have agreement!
>
> So, i do not hate the UCIMC at all. I just wish that
> it would truly be independent and accept a broader
> range of views, not just liberal to far-left! Thats
> all! Chris, and Bob Illyes have informed me that
> right-of-center views are welcome there. Well, ill
> give it a chance. However, if this censorship that i
> am reading about happens to me, as it happened to
> Carl in the Public I. I will walk and make noise
> about it!
>
> Robert
>
> ------------------------------------------------
>
> From: Esther Patt <epatt at uiuc.edu>
> To: Robert Dunn <prorobert8 at hotmail.com>,
> jbw292002 at gmail.com,
> peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net,
> cprb at lists.chambana.net, caevans2 at hotmail.com
> Subject: Re: [CPRB] RE: [Peace-discuss] CPRB
> Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:08:26 -0500 (CDT)
> >Robert,
> >
> >The local proposal for a Police Review board was
> initially made in 2001 by the local chapter of the
> NAACP and the local Green Party (which I thought
> you were involved with at the time). Laurel
> Prussing, before she was mayor, was one of the
> major players in that. People who you might know
> and respect -- Ricky Baldwin and Elaine Gehrmann
> among them -- were involved in drafting the first
> version of the ordinance for Urbana. The ACLU
> supports it.
> >
> >If you hate the U-CIMC then don't go there or
> give them your money. But you should really
> consider the wisdom of opposing any community
> initiative just because IMC has members who
> support it. Here's a little story to illustrate
> that point:
> >
> >In 2004, when Sascha Meinrath proposed to Urbana
> City Council that we get involved in bringing
> wireless internet access to downtown, Mayor
> Satterthwaite opposed the idea and after the
> council passed a budget change for it anyway, only
> gave the proposal lukewarm support -- all because
> he had previously had a very negative interaction
> with Sascha about the IMC. Within a year,
> wireless internet, which was already taking off
> all over the country, became one of the biggest
> innovations in our community. The point is Tod
> should have looked past his conflict with Sascha
> and evaluated the wireless internet proposal based
> on its own merits. Instead, he let his opposition
> to the messenger cloud his judgment of the
> message. I think about that every time I walk into
> a business or University building and see a sign
> boasting wireless access is available.
> >
> >I read one of your comments on a blog (someone
> forwarded it to me) and it sounds like you've
> changed from an extreme leftist to an extreme
> anti-leftist and just oppose anything that is
> progressive. If that is true, I am wasting my
> time writing to you. But, if you are genuinely
> interested in evaluating the proposal for police
> review, you might want to read Iowa City's
> ordinance, or San Jose's or New York City's or any
> of the dozens passed by other cities over the last
> decade. Then read the Urbana proposal and see if
> you actually think there is no merit (or actual
> harm) in the ordinance.
> >
> >Esther Patt
> >
> >---- Original message ----
> > >Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:26:09 +0000
> > >From: "Robert Dunn" <prorobert8 at hotmail.com>
> > >Subject: Re: [CPRB] RE: [Peace-discuss] CPRB
> > >To: jbw292002 at gmail.com,
> peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net,
> cprb at lists.chambana.net, caevans2 at hotmail.com
> > >
> > > This is my hometown john. I was born in
> Carle
> > > Hospital on May 19, 1982, i forgot what
> floor it
> > > was! I went to Wiley Elementary School on
> the corner
> > > of Anderson and Pennsylvania Ave. I remember
> when
> > > Lincoln Square and the Sunnycrest area were
> thriving
> > > with businesses and shops. I remember the
> old Elite
> > > Diner and Dunkin Donuts where some old
> timers were
> > > sitting there every day sipping coffee and
> > > chainsmoking! Of course, now that is illegal
> in
> > > Urbana to chainsmoke inside, thanks to the
> lefties
> > > on the Council! I went to the hellhole
> called Urbana
> > > Middle School and survived that. Finally i
> went to
> > > Urbana High School and graduated in 2000. It
> was
> > > then that i met you guys. I remember walking
> to
> > > Lincoln Square and playing video games in
> the arcade
> > > there. That is now gone. You see, i have
> roots here.
> > > Most people on the city council do not have
> roots or
> > > history here. It seems that those who were
> born and
> > > bred here have more commonsense than the
> outsiders
> > > who come to this area. That includes
> Champaign as
> > > well.
> > >
> > >
> ------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > From: "John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com>
> > > To: "Robert Dunn"
> > >
> <prorobert8 at hotmail.com>,peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net,
> > >
> cprb at lists.chambana.net,caevans2 at hotmail.com
> > > Subject: Re: [CPRB] RE: [Peace-discuss]
> CPRB
> > > Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:51:11 -0500
> > >
> > > At 11:35 AM 7/18/2007, Robert Dunn wrote:
> > >
> > > i just received word from the Chief of
> Police of
> > > Iowa City.
> > >
> > > I was wrong about my predictions.
> However, i am
> > > still against this because where the
> source of
> > > this idea came from. By the way,
> Richmond and
> > > Berzerkeley do have high crime rates,
> but their
> > > CPRB has nothing to do with it. Other
> lefty
> > > initiatives such as making the areas so
> > > anti-business plus declaring being
> homeless a
> > > Constitutional right, contributes to a
> very
> > > unpleasant environment. So, i admit i
> was wrong,
> > > however, i am still on record as
> opposing this,
> > > because i and you know that the CPRB is
> not the
> > > end, but the beginning of the trend to
> make this
> > > city so unbearable that middle class
> residents
> > > will leave, thus entrenching the Left
> > > permanantly in power! Or do we stay and
> fight. I
> > > think why Mr. Smyth was so testy was
> because i
> > > reminded him that his seat should not be
> taken
> > > for granted!
> > >
> > > Urbana must be returned to its
> residents, and
> > > not some group of extremists out of the
> UCIMC!
> > > As someone born and bred here, outsiders
> have
> > > come in and plundered our inheritance,
> its time
> > > to take it back before nothing is left!
> > >
> > > Robert Dunn
> > >
> > > Founder of Take Back Urbana!
> > >
> > > I'm curious why you came back to such a
> hellhole
> > > in the first place, Rob. You must be on a
> Mission
> > > from God.
> > >
> > > From: Esther Patt
> <epatt at uiuc.edu>
> > > To: "John W."
> <jbw292002 at gmail.com>,
> > > Robert Dunn
> <prorobert8 at hotmail.com>,
> > >
> peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net,
> > > cprb at lists.chambana.net
> > > Subject: Re: [CPRB] RE:
> [Peace-discuss]
> > > CPRB
> > > Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:08:44
> -0500
> > > (CDT)
> > >
> > > >It's always amusing, when
> Urbana
> > > proposes adopting something that
> already
> > > exists in dozens of communities
> around
> > > the country, that opponents step
> forward
> > > to assert that the sky will
> surely fall
> > > if Urbana takes the
> unprecedented step
> > > of doing anything new. Whether
> it was
> > > creating a city-wide recycling
> program,
> > > adopting an Historic
> Preservation
> > > Ordinance, adopting an anti-war
> > > resolution, implementing rental
> > > registration for apartments --
> our city
> > > was a late-comer to a national
> trend but
> > > opponents threatened horrible
> > > consequences. Robert Dunn's
> claim that
> > > the crime rate will sky-rocket
> if the
> > > city creates a Police Review
> Board is
> > > just plain silly. The real
> experiences
> > > of dozens of communities through
> the
> > > nation refute Robert's claim.
> > > >
> > > >By the way:
> > > >
> > > >The Fraternal Order of Police
> > > fundraises the money for Shop
> with a
> > > Cop. I think it's a good
> program and
> > > donate to it, but wanted Robert
> and
> > > others to know that the program
> is not
> > > about police officers spending
> their own
> > > money to buy things for
> low-income
> > > children (although I don't doubt
> there
> > > are officers who donate to the
> fund).
> > > But the money is raised by the
> FOP --
> > > primarily by their calling
> people like
> > > all of us and asking for
> donations.
> > > Then the officers go shopping
> with the
> > > children for "holiday" presents,
> using
> > > the money raised in the
> community.
> > > Community members are needed to
> > > accompany the officers and kids
> on the
> > > shopping trip and to help the
> children
> > > wrap the presents they buy.
> > > >
> > > >Esther Patt
> > >
> > >
> ------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > See what you’re getting into…before you
> go there
> > >________________
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >CPRB mailing list
> > >CPRB at lists.chambana.net
> > >http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/cprb
>
> ------------------------------------------------
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