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DowNut
03-26-2014, 07:32 AM
NJ calls for reforms at city and state level in major march against police brutality NEWARK - The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey announced its representation of three victims of police misconduct today and will lead a march against police brutality through downtown Newark in commemoration of International Day Against Police Brutality.
"Police abuse doesn't always look like Sean Bell or Rodney King," said ACLU-NJ Executive Director Deborah Jacobs. "Any degree of police abuse can be devastating and traumatic. Our young clients are incredibly brave, but they shouldn't have to be. The only way to stop abuse is to start taking real steps toward reform."
The newest ACLU-NJ complaint against the Newark Police involves 13-year-old Tony Ivey Jr., 15-year-old Faheem Loyal and their football coach Kelvin Lamar James, who were pulled over on June 14, 2008 and abused by several Newark police officers after a day centered around their Pop Warner football team, the North Ward Scorpions. They were pulled out of the car in the rain, searched, had guns held against their bodies and told they "didn't have any fucking rights," despite committing no crimes and having only football equipment in the car.
Tony, Faheem and Kelvin were left shaken up and frightened by the incident and feel ongoing distrust of police officers.
"I don't want anyone else to have to go through what we did that night," said Ivey. "Kids shouldn't have to be afraid of the police. I used to want to be a police officer, but now I'm not even sure who is there to protect me and who might point a gun at me."
The ACLU-NJ brought the incident to the attention of the City of Newark, which has expressed significant concern and promised to make reforms to its Internal Affairs operations. However, the ACLU-NJ has asked the City to include an independent monitor in Mayor Booker's current restructuring of the police leadership positions and believes that an independent monitor is the only way to ensure accountability and best practices on an ongoing basis. Thus far, the City has not made a commitment to independent monitoring.
This is the third case the ACLU-NJ has been involved in within the past year that seeks remedies for Newark police misconduct.
Independent monitoring is key to successful policing at the city and state levels. In major police departments - like Denver, San Jose, Boise and Portland - independent monitors have turned poor departments around and transformed good departments into great ones. The New Jersey State Police has improved dramatically with the benefit of a monitor. And, as the state police can attest to, an independent monitor's influence can bring technologies and resources that police officers need to do their jobs well. Independent monitors also help departments identify and remove the bad apples that spoil the reputation of the majority of officers who perform their difficult jobs with integrity.
The ACLU-NJ is also calling for reforms at the state level. As the State contemplates the end of the consent decree it entered into with the federal government after a tragic shooting on the Turnpike and the revelation of policies and training that encouraged racial profiling, it must implement reforms that will preserve the gains made under the consent decree and take the state police to the next level. Although the state police has improved markedly under the consent decree, there are ongoing problems, including stops on the southern end of the New Jersey Turnpike that remain disproportionate to the racial makeup of the area. The statistics have consistently shown that more than 30 percent of drivers stopped on the southern end of the Turnpike are people of color compared to fewer than 20 percent on the northern end.
In December 2007, Governor Corzine's Advisory Committee on Police Standards issued a report with recommendations for needed reforms. To date, none of those recommendations has been implemented.
The ACLU-NJ sent a letter (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/374/668/) to Governor Jon Corzine outlining its recommendations (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/492/668/) for statewide police reforms, including ongoing independent monitoring, licensing of police officers, keeping accurate statistics on racial profiling, creating diversity among police officers and requiring consistent discipline practices so all officers are treated fairly.
The ACLU-NJ has invited hundreds of advocates, police abuse victims and law enforcement professionals to the March Against Police Brutality, which will pass through "police checkpoints" calling for accountability measures. Marchers will invoke the names of New Jersey victims of police misconduct and brutality, from people who won settlements several years ago to ACLU-NJ clients whose cases are ongoing.
Half a dozen victims (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/474/668/) of police abuse will share their stories at the march, including Mary Weaver, whose son was killed by the East Orange Police; Herb Morton, a Continental Airlines Captain who was pulled over for speeding on the Turnpike despite the fact that his cruise control was set at 55 mph; and Laila Maher, who endured traumatic mistreatment at the hands of the New Jersey State Police while driving on the Turnpike.
"That night will always stay with me," said Maher. "When we left DC late after my bar exam class to drive up to New York, I never expected that by the end of the night I'd be looking down the barrel of a gun. Police brutality can happen to anyone, so none of us should feel comfortable until it stops."
Each checkpoint touches on a different facet of police brutality, beginning with a reading of the ACLU-NJ demands for reform at the attorney general's office, moving to Newark Penn Station to distribute information about individual rights in the face of police questioning (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/290/668/), and ending at the Brazilian Voice newspaper with a vigil for the victims of police abuse. Roberto Lima, the editor of the Brazilian Voice, has a current lawsuit against the Newark Police Department, which violated his free press rights when he was held in custody until he agreed to forfeit all copies of pictures his photographer took of a crime scene (even though he had already given them all of the photos).
Ivey, Loyal and James are being represented by Avi Cover and Lawrence Lustberg of Gibbons, P.C. who are serving as cooperating counsel on behalf of the ACLU-NJ.
In addition to advocating for reforms to police practices, the ACLU also frequently represents police officers whose rights have been violated (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/267/668/) or who have acted as whistleblowers.
Read the ACLU-NJ Executive Director Deborah Jacobs' Star Ledger op-ed (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/300/668/) about the case of Tony, Faheem and Kelvin.
Related Content

The ACLU Supports the Rights of Police (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/267/668/) (44K .pdf)
The Best Way to Curb Police Abuse (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/300/668/) (49K .pdf)
What To Do If You're Stopped By The Police (English) (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/178/668/) (118k PDF)
What To Do If You're Stopped By The Police (Spanish) (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/192/668/) (69k PDF)
What To Do If You're Stopped By The Police (Portuguese) (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/191/668/) (1.3mb PDF)
Letter to Governer Jon Corzine, Oct. 2008 (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/374/668/) (145K .pdf)
ACLU-NJ Police Abuse Client Profiles (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/474/668/) (425K .pdf)
Best Police Practices in New Jersey (http://www.badgeabuse.com/index.php/download_file/view/492/668/) (23K .pdf)



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