December 2007: Report to United Nations on Law Enforcement Violence
Communities United Against Police Brutality is proud to have contributed to a national report on police violence entitled
In the Shadows of the War on Terror: Persistent Police Brutality and Abuse of People of Color in the United States.
Lawsuit by Black Officers Against the Minneapolis Police Department
The lawsuit against the MPD by Black officers is a study in police department racism and hostile working conditions. To view the lawsuit document, click on this link:
Lawsuit by Black Cops
MPD Chief McManus Fails to Discipline Sustained CRA Complaints
Report on Tasers
A local activist with the St. Paul chapter of Amnesty International recently released an important report that calls into question the role Taser, Inc. plays in controlling the discourse on the use of Tasers in this country.
This report, authored by local activist Nathan Thompson, points out that from the sales brochures that tout it to the training and certification courses required to use it, Taser, Inc. promotes with almost religious fervor the line that Tasers save lives. Powered by compressed nitrogen, these weapons do not fall under the regulation of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms leaving Taser, Inc. free to fund studies that back up their sales claims. This multimillion dollar megacorporation has gone so far as to contact coroners to try to influence them to leave out references to Tasers as a cause or contributor to deaths in their autopsy reports. Click on the link below to see a PDF of this report
Jolting of Reality--Report on Tasers
MPD Police Officers with the Most Complaints from the Community
When Chief McManus met with the community prior to being confirmed by the Minneapolis City Council, he talked a lot about reform. He indicated that police officers having 3 or 4 complaints against them was a red flag. He said he would be personally interested in knowing about such officers. On April 29, 2004, we presented the a list of 171 MPD police officers with five or more complaints against them to Chief McManus and asked that he review their records. To date, no word on whether he has ever acted on this list.
Click the link below to see the document we presented to Chief McManus, of Minneapolis police officers with five or more CRA complaints.
MPD Police Officers with the Most Complaints from the Community
NOTE: A Civilian Review Authority complaint from an individual can have more than one allegation. The document we presented to Chief McManus ranked police officers by the total number of allegations related to CRA complaints. On the document, you will see the total number of CRA complaints first, then the total allegations in parentheses, and then the total number of allegations upheld by the CRA in brackets and bolded, followed by the specific types of allegations upheld. This document also includes any Internal Affairs complaints against these officers, broken down in the same manner. This information was compiled from records received from the Civilian Review Authority and Minneapolis Police Department Internal Affairs Unit in September 2003 and represents the most current information available from the CRA at this time.
THE DEATH OF WALTER C. BURKS
An Analysis of Police Actions
By Communities United Against Police Brutality
April 12, 2004
We used original source documentation from the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department investigation, 911 tapes, autopsy records and other official documents to thoroughly analyze the circumstances surrounding the in-custody death of Walter C. Burks. We offer this analysis of the Walter Burks case in the hopes that an in-depth examination of a crisis-related death will bring forth new and better intervention methods that will reduce or even eliminate deaths of individuals who interact with Minneapolis police during a crisis.
Walter Burks Case Analysis in PDF
FEDERAL MEDIATION DOCUMENTS
Below you will find links to the federal mediation agreement as well as to CUAPB's analysis of that agreement and the community's original list of demands.
Federal Mediation Agreement:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2003-meetings/20031215/docs/01_Mediation_Memorandum_Agreement.pdf
CUAPB Analysis of Federal Mediation Agreement
Original List of Community Demands for Federal Mediation
CIVILIAN REVIEW AUTHORITY DOCUMENTS
A board member of CUAPB served on the CRA Redesign Working Group. Posted in this section will be documents pertaining to the redesign plan and how City of Minneapolis officials have dealt with the sweeping recommendations made in that plan.
CUAPB Proposal for Community Oversight of Police
Proposal for Community Oversight of Police by Current CRA Chair Michael Friedman
Outcomes Subcommittee Recommendations for CRA Redesign
Civil Rights Department Plan for incorporating the Civilian Review Authority http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2002-meetings/20021108/docs/02_H&HS_PS&RS_CRA_Redesign_Plan.pdf
CUAPB's Analysis of Civil Rights Department Plan for Incorporating the CRA
Additional documents will be added soon. Please visit again.
