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One thing that this article doesn’t cover is that the City has still rejected the new CRB’s requests for an expanded mandate. I respect that these issues may take time. But the CRB isn’t a story about needing more time....
The history of the CRB is about the incredible political capital and social power of the police. Providing accountability of them is seen as radical and rude. Demanding transparency is met with eye rolls or scoffs.
The CRB is apparently palatable if it is impartial and well-trained. We created a code of conduct that was rigorous but we refused to bend to the idea that you can’t be critical of the police while also being impartial. We also asked for extensive training which we didn’t receive
The City ran a smear campaign against us. Plain and simple. It was well-orchestrated. This is nothing new in politics or policing. It is how people get silenced and delegitimized and often worse (specifically for Black people who speak truth to power).
I know this wasn’t a story about the CRB alone. I’m glad the Black women who were interviewed were centered. It’s critical; we should demand nothing less. But damn it makes me want a real deep-dive story into the CRB. Our story is both outrageous and ordinary...
In my conversations with people across the state and country involved in police accountability work, it’s almost laughable how the playbook is the same and how the powerful institutions of policing play the game. Almost. If people weren’t being fucking killed.
@ianshapira - tagging the journalist who spent a lot of time on this story.
