Community Groups Protest Berkeley Police Association Court Action!

Oakland, CA - On Tuesday, November 14th, Copwatch, People United for a Better Oakland (PUEBLO), Bay Area Police Watch (BAPW), ACLU of Northern California and other community groups will be present at the Alameda Superior Court to protest the Berkeley Police Association's lawsuit against the Berkeley Police Review Commission.

With the widespread corruption and scandals of the past year in Berkeley, we need police accountability now more than ever. Unfortunately, the Berkeley Police Association has decided to press ahead with its lawsuit that seeks to shut down the open public hearing process which has made Berkeley's Police Review Commission (PRC) a model for the nation.

For the past 30 years, Berkeley's commitment to civilian review and openness has earned its police force a reputation for being one of the most progressive police forces in the Bay Area. In the wake of the recent Copley vs. San Diego Press Inc. decision (which severely limits public access to the disciplinary records of police officers), the BPA is hoping to exclude the public from any role in the accountability process.

"This lawsuit demonstrates that the Berkeley Police Association is more concerned about insulating officers from criticism than in protecting the public from abusive cops. We would hope that the BPA would be as concerned about public perceptions of police corruption and brutality as the rest of us and drop this effort to disempower the community," stated Copwatch member Andrea Prichett.

In 1973, when voters passed the ordinance establishing the PRC, it was quite clear that Berkeley voters wanted Berkeley cops to be held accountable to the residents of the community. At Copwatch, we would hope that the judge in this case would respect the right of our community to create standards for performance, public safety and accountability that hold our officers to a higher standard of conduct.

Come support Copwatch, PUEBLO, BAPW, ACLUNC and other community groups advocating for an open civilian review process at 8:30am on Tuesday November 14th at the Alameda County Superior Court (201 Thirteenth St in Downtown Oakland). A press conference will follow the court hearing.