1. NAACP Smart & Safe Initiative Effective Law Enforcement Campaign
March 2010

2. NAACP History & New Program
Oldest civil rights organization in the U.S.
Informing criminal justice issues since inception: Pink Franklin
Racial integration in law enforcement & military
Rodney King: model use of force standards & diversity in law enforcement
New Criminal Justice Program: Smart & Safe Criminal Justice Initiative

3. Smart & Safe Initiative
Four Campaigns
Advance Effective Law Enforcement
Elevate the voices of crime survivors
Eliminate Employment Incarceration of the Formerly Incarcerated
Reform Punitive Sentencing & Support Voting Rights for the Formerly Incarcerated

4. Framing the Problem
Goal of Campaign: Increasing Public Safety – Trust is imperative
Trust undermined by community fringes
Anti-cooperative, “anti-snitching” community members
Officers seen to needlessly resort to violence

5. The Tension Anti Snitching/ Cooperation
Community Law Enforcement Collaboration
Excessive Use of Force by Law Enforcement

6. Incidents that Undermine Community/Law Enforcement Collaboration
Reports of excessive/deadly use of force by law enforcement
Incidences of anti cooperation by community members
Three examples:
Rockford, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

7. Rockford, Ill. – August 2009 23 year-old Mark Anthony Barmore
Domestic complaint
Chased and shot dead in front of day care students at church
Unarmed; 3 shots in the back, one in neck
Witnesses report intimidation
Increase in racial tensions in community
Lack of trust between community and police department

8. Rockford, Ill. – Mark Barmore’s Children

9. Chicago, IL- September 2009 16 year-old Derrion Albert, honor student
Walking home from school because school bus services were cut
Killed by neighborhood group
Witnesses were present
Witnesses refused to collaborate with Law Enforcement to identify killer

10. Chicago, IL- Community Impact

11. Pittsburgh, PA – January 2010
18 year-old, honors music student, Jordan Miles
Approached by undercover officers, asked about “money and drugs”
Chased, beaten, hair pulled out, choked
What officers believed was gun, was Mountain Dew bottle
Charged with resisting arrest, aggravated assault
Community outrage and outcry in support of Miles

12. Pittsburg, PA – Jordan Miles

13. Our Approach Fight Anti Cooperation
Stop the Funerals; New Haven Project
Community Policing
Elevating Voices of Crime Survivors
Fight Excessive Use of Force by Law Enforcement
Partnerships/Coalition Building
Model Policies/Standards
All Alert Online Citizen Reporting Tool

14. What We Hope to Accomplish
Strengthen trust, increase public safety:
Work together: advocates, law enforcement, experts, lawmakers
Effective Law Enforcement Coalition
Model policy/standards on use of force
Establish citizen review committees
Support for community oriented policing
Partnership:
Be allies; share information/input to build trust
Participate in developing model policies/standards
Implement model policy in jurisdictions across U.S.
Better Understand the Problem – All Alert

15. Keep in Touch!
Robert Rooks, MSW Director, Criminal Justice (410) Dr. Niaz Kasravi Sr. Manager, Law Enforcement Accountability (410)