Political Action: Whenever a new case of police brutality comes to light, people in the community must respond politically to ensure justice for the victim. These actions must be timely to be truly effective. We need an organization in place that can mobilize people quickly; organize demonstrations and other actions; defend the victim and challenge police in the media and that can build an ongoing climate of resistance to police brutality in all its forms. CUAPB^TM is that organization.

Legislative Action: Currently, a Minnesota law determines circumstances under which a police officer can legally use deadly force in the line of duty. In other words, used properly, this law was designed to provide legal protection for police officers who kill or injure suspects in self-defense or to protect others from death or great bodily harm. This statue is known as Minnesota Deadly Force Statute 609.066.

However, there is no counterbalancing law that protects the public from police officers who illegally use excessive or deadly force when it is not required. Because there is no specific law that provides for criminal punishment for officers who misuse excessive or deadly force, officers tend to hide behind the technicalities of the one-sided, police-friendly Deadly Force law to get away with the cold-blooded murder of unarmed citizens.

Because police are licensed by the government to carry guns and to use them while performing their duties, the government must be held responsible for protecting people from the terror of abusive, trigger-happy police.

Since there are no laws that protect us from police misconduct, brutality and murder, and because public officials responsible for police oversight don^t take complaints about police misconduct seriously, our goals include:

• Petitioning the Minnesota legislature to enact new and more effective laws that will protect the public from police brutality, and that mandate prosecution of officers who use excessive force.
• Demanding independent investigations of the many recent unsolved police killings and prosecution of the police officers involved.

Service And Support: As police brutality increases, more and more victims are left behind to suffer through what is likely one of the greatest emotional crises in their lives. Often they are unsure of where to turn for help. We offer a 24-hour crisis line (612-874-STOP) that people can call to report instances of abuse. We can send out a crisis team to investigate the complaint, take photos and statements and offer immediate assistance. We follow up with legal, medical and psychological referrals and other services as needed. We also bring together families and survivors in a local network to provide ongoing support and empowerment for people suffering from their encounter with police brutality.

Education: Although we may hear about the more extreme cases, it's the obscure day-to-day police abuses that create the hostile and racially charged environment that allows the more extreme cases to occur, the ones that ultimately result in death or permanent injury. One of the goals of our organization is to mobilize public awareness about the causes and effects of racial profiling and police brutality. We accomplish this through the media, public service announcements, town meetings and public forums, workshops in schools and colleges and through this website.

Legal Research and Referral Services: Many attorneys refuse to take on cases of police brutality. However, CUAPB^TM maintains a referral list of lawyers as well as our own legal support library, to help people learn about the legalities of their own cases, so they can be better prepared to deal with the legal process. We research trends in police brutality, racial profiling and other areas of police misconduct and present our findings to the public and to elected officials, to help them understand the issue and enact new laws that address police brutality.