By Atlanta Citizen Review Board Member Dr. Michael Woodard Every Atlanta resident wants to feel safe in their neighborhood. And in the event of any criminal incident, residents want to be confident in the reliability and strength of the police to respond quickly. In other words, residents want to have trust in the police who […]

When Hurt By Police by Tonya Richardson What can I do if I have been hurt by a police officer?   Know that you do have legal rights. Police brutality is against the law, and there are certain things that you can do to protect your rights and prove what took place.   If you […]

Why File a Complaint By. S. Lee Reid II Why it is so important that you file a Complaint for officer misconduct with your local civilian oversight agency. Filing a complaint holds officers accountable, ensures that law enforcement policies and training reflect the needs and desires of the community, and establishes an official record of […]

Police Accountability from A Mother’s Perspective By: Adrienne Gillis   It is a police officer’s job to protect and serve…Right?  Does that protect and serve mean only when it is convenient or when it pertains to a certain race? I’m a daughter, aunt, niece, cousin, friend and most importantly, a mother of two African American […]

Trauma By. S. Lee Reid II 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 even physical symptoms like […]

Transparency By S. Lee Reid   The ACRB is committed to Transparency. Transparency is one of the agency’s foundational pillars. But what does that mean? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, transparency means the quality or state of being transparent. Hmmm? Digging deeper into the root word “transparent”, we find several definitions that will aid in […]

By Gloria Woods The ACRB Blog Writers Club   In light of everything that’s going on across the country, I feel compelled to share a story I’ve only shared with few. A warm day a couple years ago, I ran out of gas in my 1983 Ford pickup on Joseph E Lowery Boulevard in Atlanta’s […]

If you scroll down to the bottom of the acrbgov.org home page and play the video titled “Community Outreach Unit”, you will hear my voice saying these words. “Without reaching out to you, the citizen, at conferences, town hall meetings, senior centers, bar-be-ques, block parties, parades, festivals, training workshops, and through the media…without ties to […]

Lessons from a Veteran Police Oversight Investigator   By: Brian Fleming   Being a civilian oversight investigator for over a decade has taught me so many lessons that I can teach investigations in my sleep. However, many of the lessons I did not learn in a book nor in a manual but from the daily […]