Police brutality, a
longstanding civil rights issue, has returned to the forefront of American
public debate. A growing body of public health research shows that excessive
use of force by police and racial profiling have adverse effects on health for
African Americans and other marginalized groups. Yet, interventions to monitor
unlawful policing have been met with fierce opposition at the federal, state,
and local levels.
On April 30, 2015, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey signed an
executive order establishing a Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) to
monitor the Newark Police Department (NPD). Using a mixed-methods approach,
this study examined how advocates and government actors accomplished this
recent policy change in the face of police opposition and after a 50-year
history of unsuccessful attempts in Newark.
Drawing on official public
documents, news media, and interviews conducted in April and May 2015, I
propose that: (1) a Department of Justice investigation of the NPD, (2) the
activist background of the Mayor and his relationships with community
organizations, and (3) the momentum provided by the national Black Lives Matter
movement were pivotal in overcoming political obstacles to reform. Examining
the history of CCRB adoption in Newark suggests when and where advocates may
intervene to promote policing reforms in other US cities.
Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/ZSvJcU
By:
- 1Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. aleciam@princeton.edu.
More at: https://twitter.com/hiv_insight
No comments:
Post a Comment