For Immediate Release – February 10, 2015
Statewide Groups Mobilize to Sacramento, Demand End to Police Violence
Press Contacts:
Debbie Reyes, California Prison Moratorium Project – 559.367.6020, pmpvalle@yahoo.com
Mohamed Shehk, Critical Resistance – 408.910.2618, mohamed@criticalresistance.org
Kim McGill, Youth Justice Coalition – 323.327.1259, freelanow@yahoo.com
Social Media: @C_Resistance @pmpvalle @YouthJusticeLA #EndPoliceViolence #NoPoliceNoPrisons
Sacramento – On February 10th, community organizations across the state, including California Prison Moratorium Project (CPMP), Critical Resistance (CR) and Youth Justice Coalition, will be mobilizing to attend a Committee on Public Safety hearing meant to address the harms of policing. The hearing, titled “Law Enforcement and Community Trust in California,” has come under intense criticism, with grassroots organizations claiming that its proposed agenda fails to address the inherent problems of policing, particularly in communities of color.
“The Committee on Public Safety supposedly wants to ‘build community trust,’ but not a single organization that works at the grassroots level with communities most impacted by racist and violent policing was invited to participate in this hearing,” says Debbie Reyes of CPMP. “That’s why we are mobilizing, to share the stories of people who experience this violence first hand, for family members who have lost a loved one at the hands of police to demand an end to further attacks on our communities.”
After the high profile murders of Michael Brown and Eric Garner last summer, communities across the country are outraged at the continued and systematic attacks on Black and Brown people by police. According to organizers, elected officials have done nothing to address police violence, and have only offered the most modest reforms incapable of changing the status quo.
“Among the things that will be discussed at this hearing are improving police data collection methods and implementing the use of body cameras by officers. These so called reforms will not protect our communities,” says Rachel Herzing of Critical Resistance. “Eric Garner was choked to death by NYPD, on camera. Oscar Grant was shot in the back by BART police, on camera. We don’t need more cameras, we need less police.” Critics of the weak measures also note that implementation of these measures will only mean more public money being wasted on law enforcement, rather than invested in services such as healthcare and education.
The hearing is scheduled from 9:30am to 3:30pm, in Room 4203 of the State Capitol, with time for public comment provided during the last half hour.
Press contacts will be available before, during, and after the hearing for interviews.
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