A VIEW FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "WELCOME TO THE FUTURE" It has been a long time coming, but it is finally here, and we at the ACRB are very excited about it. Thanks to the Atlanta City Council, a new energy has been infused into our panel of diligent citizens who consider complaints against sworn […]

During an interaction with an officer, try to remain calm. Try to control your emotions. No knee-jerk reactions. During a police stop, let the officer speak first so you can determine what is going on first. During a police stop, always ask if you are free to leave. If you are not free to leave, […]

A VIEW FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "FROM TRAUMA TO HEALING" The American Psychological Association (APA) defines trauma as an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape, or natural disaster. It further provides that immediately after the event, shock and denial are typical. Longer term reactions include unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships and […]

A VIEW FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "TO BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY" Anajanette Young, a Chicago woman, recounted a horrible experience she had at the hands of Chicago police officers in February 2019.  She relived the day that she was naked and handcuffed when officers raided her house. She stood uncovered for two minutes before she […]

Nolo Contendere By Tonya Richardson The Atlanta Citizen Review Board (ACRB) receives several complaints from citizens alleging they were falsely arrested. The citizen files a formal complaint alleging the wrongdoing of an Atlanta Police Department (APD) Officer for effectuating an arrest. The ACRB opens an investigation and the investigator discovers the citizen has plead “Nolo […]

ACRB Content Writers Club Lauren McCall ACRB Mediation Program   The ACRB Mediation Program was created to help produce a neutral setting for dispute resolution between citizens and law enforcement. This program was made to provide a way to create dialogue between citizens who have filed complaints against law enforcement, along with improving the interaction […]

ACRB Content Writers Club Lauren McCall Music of Protest   Music has always been a creative way to draw people closer and to help get a message across. From We Shall Overcome to James Brown’s I’m Black and I’m Proud, from Lift Every Voice and Sing to Public Enemy’s Fight the Power, music has always […]

Miranda Rights By Sheena Robertson I was falsely arrested because the officer didn’t read me my rights? I have heard this so many times from many citizens who have filed false arrest complaints with the Atlanta Citizen Review Board (“ACRB”). Thanks to the numerous police shows and movies, many people know their Miranda Rights and […]

Out of the Mouths of Babes By Myola Smith We are often amused and even surprised when a young person makes a profound statement that we did not expect to hear from someone their age; however, history provides many examples of idealistic young people who did more to combat social injustice than just fan the […]

ACRB Content Writers Club Lauren McCall This year of 2020 has been one of many challenges. We are currently dealing with a pandemic, long standing issues of racial injustice that has marked and marred our country, and we have many important elections taking place. The presidential election, and congressional elections will take place on November […]