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MARIN COUNTY'S NEWS
MONTHLY - FREE PRESS
(415)868-1600 -
(415)868-0502(fax) - P.O. Box 31, Bolinas, CA, 94924
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Public Hearings on Police and
Community
Sponsored by the Marin Empowerment Council
The Marin
Empowerment Council, a coalition of individuals and other organizations
concerned with law enforcement issues throughout the county, is sponsoring a
public hearing to help assess how law enforcement interacts with the public in
their communities and in detention facilities.
The members of the Council recognize that law enforcement plays a vital
role in our communities; that the vast majority of interactions with residents
and visitors are handled professionally and with respect. The hearing will be
held on Wed., Feb. 9, 2005 from 7:#0-9:#0 at the Marin County Office of
Education, 1111 Las Galinas Rd., San Rafael.
However some of our members and others in the community have had the
occasion to be left angry and confused by what appears to be instances of
unwarranted intrusion and/or abuse by a few officers. On these occasions they
have been frustrated by their inability to find out whether any action was
taken against those they feel were responsible for the abuse because of laws
preventing law enforcement administrators from releasing disciplinary
information.
These hearings are being held to assess:
1) How law enforcement agencies work to maintain a cooperative relationship
with the communities they serve.
2) How law enforcement agencies address complaints of unwarranted intrusion
or abuse by their officers. 3) Whether individuals who feel they have been
abused by law enforcement are making complaints, and if not, why not.
4) What policies or procedures individual law enforcement agencies can
implement to better serve the community and those who feel they have been
victims of unwarranted intrusion or abuse.
5) to examine whether there is a need for additional resources and/ or
structures to improve relations between law enforcement agencies and the
community.
6) To examine what role the Empowerment Council can play in improving the
interaction between police and the community. The Hearing Panel will include
representatives of the United States Department of Justice, the California
Department of Justice, Local Law Enforcement, and Marin County based organizations serving people who have contact with
law enforcement.
If you wish to testify or serve on the hearing panel, then leave your
number at Legal Aid of Marin (415) 492-0230, and ask that Roy Chernus of the
Empowerment Council contact you and put you on the agenda. While everyone will
be encouraged to relate his or her experience, the facilitator will discourage
confrontational behavior.