Feature Archives

The SF Police Commission decided to keep the cops who assaulted 4 Hunter's Point teens on active duty, even after seeing and hearing eyewitness testimony, photographic evidence including the badge numbers of officers involved. The families of the teenagers have decided to return to the Police Commission on Wed, April 10th at the Hall of Justice at 5pm with a list of demands. On 2/27, 100 people showed up at the Police Commission to express their outrage about police violence and to demand that the officers be suspended. The families are hoping to get even more people out for the next one. There will also be a Hunter's Point Community Meeting on 4/3 at 6:30pm for people to get updates and discuss next steps. South Berkeley Cops Beat Black Man: On 3/14, a crowd of outraged citizens gathered as Berkeley Police attacked a young black man. Report | Photo

Contact the police commission with your concerns | 2/27 Protest: Photo, Report | Bay Area Police Watch | Photo 1 | 2 | Editorial from Bay View | Community Info | SF Bay View Newspaper

2/20: Since September 11th, the rapidly-expanding US law enforcement apparatus has been on the move, disappearing and kidnapping thousands of people without revealing any information to their families. Many people do not know where their loved ones are. At least one man has died in custody and many more report torture (Audio). One of 23 demonstrations across the country in solidarity with the disappeared in the U.S.A. took place at the Federal Building in San Francisco 2/20. There was a heavy police presence at the demonstration, which drew about 80 people. The protest was held on the 60th anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066, which led to the detention of thousands of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during the Second World War. Photos | Protest Details | Palo Alto Solidarity Protest

The Department of Corrections is proposing changes to the current visitation rules which will have a profoundly negative impact on prisoners and their families. These changes pose yet another assault on the primarily poor minority communities which constitute the majority of those incarcerated in California's (in)justice system. A public hearing to review the proposal will occur on March 8th in Sacramento. Details

The mother of Idriss Stelley, the young man killed by San Francisco Police Officers at the Metreon Theater, filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court on Jan 29. The lawsuit names nine SFPD officers and alleges that 20+ shots fired at Idriss were unjustified. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a resolution unanimously passed by the SF Supervisors calling for psychiatric crisis intervention training for all SFPD officers. Justice for Idriss Website

1/7: In response to community outrage about the 6/13/01 police killing of Idriss Stelley at the Sony Metreon Theater, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution urging a dramatic increase in the police crisis intervention training program. One in every four calls to the police is regarding someone in psychiatric crisis, but currently less than 3% of SFPD officers are trained to respond. The resolution, passed on 1/7, urges the SFPD to train 25% of all first responder officers and supervisors within the next two years and ongoing at that rate until all officers are trained. If implemented, this increase would set a national precedent, making the SFPD crisis intervention training program the largest in the country.

1/7: In response to community outrage about the 6/13/01 police killing of Idriss Stelley at the Sony Metreon Theater, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution urging a dramatic increase in the police crisis intervention training program. One in every four calls to the police is regarding someone in psychiatric crisis, but currently less than 3% of SFPD officers are trained to respond. The resolution, passed on 1/7, urges the SFPD to train 25% of all first responder officers and supervisors within the next two years and ongoing at that rate until all officers are trained. If implemented, this increase would set a national precedent, making the SFPD crisis intervention training program the largest in the country.

1/9: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has condemned a new Justice Department plan that focuses deportation efforts on Middle Eastern men. According to the ADC, the program reflects a bias inherent to numerous post-9/11 measures. A clear example is the Department's ongoing investigation of 5,000 young Arab men who entered the United States since Jan. 1, 2000. Males from Arab and Muslim states who apply for visas to visit the U.S. also have to wait an additional 20 days and answer a special questionnaire not required of any other persons. ADC President Ziad Asali explains that "by creating policies that discriminate in this manner, the government is inadvertently fostering fear and suspicion of Arabs and Arab-Americans." More on recent "security" measures.