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Category Archives: Policing
The Negative Impact of the War on Drugs in Our Community
Two Community Dialogues Thursday, Feb. 28, Levis Faculty Center (919 W. Illinois St., Urbana) Friday night, March 1, Salem Baptist Church (500 E. Park St., Champaign) 5:30-8:30 p.m. both nights Keynote Speakers: Neill Franklin, former narcotics officer and executive director … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Policing
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The New Jim Crow Comes to Champaign-Urbana
If there was one constant during my six-and-a-half years in prison (apart from bad food), it was being surrounded by thousands of mostly African-American and Latino men doing sentences like twenty, thirty or forty years for drug-related crimes. One friend … Continue reading
Posted in Policing, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Her Name Was Hadiya, And She Was Killed By A Gun
More than 500 young children have died from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” (from an anti-gang violence PSA by Hadiya Pendleton and crew) “none among us should feel unsafe moving about/through the world, on the earth, … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Policing, Politics, Voices of Color
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Changes to Police Contract Come from “The Work of the Citizen”
Two out of three proposals presented two years ago by the grassroots organization, Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice (CUCPJ), were included in the police union contract approved by Champaign city council on Tuesday night, December 4, 2012. In April … Continue reading
Posted in Policing
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A Tale of Two Cities: Public Access to Police Complaints in Champaign and Urbana
Backstory: Champaign Over the course of 2012, several pieces have been published in the Public i and the News Gazette regarding the city’s continued practice of ignoring Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding complaints against the police and its … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Policing, Politics
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Why Does Sheriff of Small Midwestern College Town Need a Drone?
Many have heard of the unmanned aerial vehicles, or “drones,” that the U.S. government has been flying over Pakistan and Afghanistan dropping bombs aimed at suspected militants and all too often killing innocent civilians. Increasingly, smaller versions of these planes … Continue reading
Posted in Policing
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Outstanding Documents Obtained in Police Brutality Case
After months of stalling, the city of Champaign has finally released documents about the incident on June 5, 2011 when a 20 year-old African American man, Brandon Ward, was choked in the back of a squad car by white officer … Continue reading
Posted in Policing
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Chris Drew Dies Day Before Eavesdropping Law Ruled Unconstitutional
(From Chicago Independent Media Center) – Chris Drew, Chicago artist, activist, and free speech advocate, passed away on May 7. Drew was noted among the community of Chicago political activists for being a consistent presence at political activist rallies and … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Policing, Uncategorized
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A Bad Idea: The County Board’s Proposal to Spend $20 Million on Jail Construction
Over the last few months a classic political power struggle has been taking place at Champaign County Board meetings. At the center of it has been a Board proposal to spend $20 million on jail construction. People from Champaign-Urbana Citizens … Continue reading
CUCPJ Public Forum on New Jail Proposal
Champaign Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice Present A Public Forum on: The County Board’s Proposal to Spend $20 Million on a New Jail Speakers: Carol Ammons, County Board member who opposes the jail proposal Members of Decarcerate Monroe County, … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Community Forum, Policing, Politics, Prisoners, Voices of Color
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Dismantling Democracy
By Marya Burke The very first amendment of our constitution states: “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech… or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Policing, Politics
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Coming Soon to a Police Department Near You: Unmanned Aerial Drones
Raven. Predator. Reaper. Over the last decade, we’ve heard the news reports about the Pentagon’s cutting-edge unmanned aerial platforms flying missions over Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, Iran, and Somalia. Used for reconnaissance as well as search-and-destroy missions, the United … Continue reading
Posted in Policing, Technology
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Champaign: the City Above the Law
Take one: an individual asserts his rights under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act In 2009, dentist G. Mark Gekas lodged a complaint with the Sangamon County sheriff’s office that he had been brutally mistreated by deputy sheriff John Gillette … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Policing
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A Residency Requirement Might Help Police Situation
A Residency Requirement Might Help Police Situation Dannel McCollum, a former Champaign mayor and a Democratic candidate for the state Senate in 2002, is a historian and a freelance writer. This piece originally appeared in the News-Gazette on … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Policing
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Police Violence in Champaign: City Manager Holds a Not Very Newsy Press Conference
Belden Fields After the Sunday November 20 issue of the News-Gazette published a front page article on excessive violence against a black youth by the Champaign police near campus on June 5, Champaign City Manager Steve Carter … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Policing
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Community Members, City Leaders Search for Answers in June 5 Arrest
Jerehme Bamberger A squad car video of a confrontation between a Champaign city police officer and a local African American youth has raised serious concerns about the relationship between the CPD and high-ranking city officials in the last week. … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Policing
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Black Youth Beaten by Champaign Police
It has been two years since Kiwane Carrington was killed by a Champaign police officer, but 18-year-old black youth, Calvin Miller, is still afraid of the police. So when a Champaign cop attempted to pull him over for no apparent … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Policing
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Emails Leaked at IMC Web Site Detailing the Internal Struggles of the Champaign Police Department
Operating for more than a decade, the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center website has become known as a local source for exposing police misconduct. For perhaps the first time at any IMC site, somebody from behind the “blue line” leaked information … Continue reading
Posted in Policing
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Urbana Adopts a Soliciting Ordinance
Urbana Adopts a Soliciting Ordinance Belden Fields After several meetings with active public participation, on August 1, the Urbana City Council adopted an ordinance banning “ aggressive solicitation of money or other thing of value, including a request to … Continue reading
Posted in Human Rights, Policing, Politics
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