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 Atlanta police and correctional officers. City Council passed an ordinance on May 3, 2021 to amend the city charter to designate two youth-serving organizations that would each appoint a member to the ACRB within the 18 to 30 age group. The Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) was chosen. It was a critically important decision when you think about the young people across the country who demonstrated in massive numbers for equal justice for African Americans following the brutal police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. It sparked a worldwide Black Lives Matter movement and changed the consciousness of thousands of Americans of all races. Years ago, Atlanta City Council member Andre Dickens had questioned why there were no young people on the Board. It took the city awhile, but now we are at the point where we realized that there is a certain perspective that needs to be included when we talk about how do we hold officers accountable and also have the input from everybody in the community.
So I dedicate this issue of the ACRB Newsletter to our newest and youngest member of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, someone who represents the AUCC (Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine) and symbolizes the future of our nation. The following is an excerpt from an interview with 19 year old Kaylin Strahan that I conducted during a segment of my Tuesday Night Talks series. I asked her what does she see herself bringing to the Board as a younger person in the community.
“I bring the younger generation perspective… I am someone who loves people. I love to talk to different people, to get to know different people and just their background because I know for a fact that we are all different, but we have so many similarities. So, although this person is from here, we may like the same things, or although we don’t like the same things, we could be from the same place. So we are all here for a specific reason and we are all here at this time for a specific reason.”
She continues. “So I feel as though, not only bringing just a perspective of the Clark Atlanta University population, but me, being the individual that I am, and sharing my opinions and my values with the surrounding schools such as Morehouse and Spelman and also getting to know what their opinions are as well…This is not about me, and it’s not been about me a long time ago. I think I got a second of excitement, and I’m still excited, but then I have to get into the reality of things and say okay,…you’re the vessel but you have to listen to all of these people in order to make the right decisions. And I am very used to that so that doesn’t phase me at all…I love to be the individual that can bring other people together such as our surrounding schools in the AUC, and just make it more of a family thing. So having that perspective and being able to be the person that brings that perspective to the table of all the younger individuals, and not just the younger individuals, but faculty, staff, administrators as well…at all the schools which bring over 8,000 voices.”
She continues. “So, to have that kind of pressure on me, like, okay Kaylin, not only do you have to speak for Clark, but you have to speak for Spelman and you have to speak for Morehouse. Usually some people would see that and say oh no, I won’t do it, it’s not for me. But just because I was placed here for a specific reason like I stated, I know that I am the person that God placed in this position, and I will not fail Him. I will try my hardest to be the best that I can be while also bringing everyone that I can bring with me to be successful as well. So not only just perspectives from me, but also the perspectives from my black kings and queens as well, from all the universities as well.”
ATLANTA CITY COUNCIL NEWS BRIEFS
Atlanta City Council approved legislation authorizing a ground lease agreement with the Atlanta Police Foundation to build a state-of-the-art public safety training campus on City-owned property located on Key Road in DeKalb County (Legislative Reference No 21-O-0367). The decision follows months of arguments, protests and public hearings among environmentalists and law enforcement proponents over the best use for the former prison farm, one of the city’s few remaining large green spaces. District 12 Council member Joyce Sheperd, who chairs the Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee, withstood pressure from citizens who gathered on her private property, knocked on her door and lodged a protest on her lawn and porch for introducing the legislation. The ordinance, adopted on a 10-4 vote, states the Atlanta Police Foundation will develop the facility on 85 acres with the remaining 265 acres preserved as green space for ecological habitat restoration and public access. The training academy would replace the dilapidated Atlanta police academy and fire academy buildings.
Workers in the City of Atlanta, including sworn officers of the APD will be required to attend training on the LGBTQ+ culture. City Council passed a city-wide ordinance that legally requires all city employees of Atlanta to undergo “LGBT cultural training.” The online training would be mandatory once a year for all city employees including sworn officers of the APD.
Legislation was adopted requesting the Atlanta Police Department to evaluate the process of facilitating the installation of video surveillance cameras at City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation facilities to help deter criminal activity (Legislative Reference No 21-R-3727). The legislation notes that criminal activity has spread to the City’s parks and that installing and integrating cameras into the Atlanta Police Department’s Video Integration Center (VIC) helps to improve overall response times and provide real-time information sharing.
The new law follows the brutal slaying of Katherine Janness and her dog inside Piedmont Park on July 27th. Her partner found her body by the Charles Allen Gate off 10th Street. APD said that the cameras were working the night of the murder, but that the 9 cameras in Piedmont Park were not integrated into the city’s current video integration center that allows it to track activity in real time.
ACRB WELCOMES ITS YOUNGEST MEMBER
THE FIRST 18 TO 30 YEAR OLDS DESIGNATED TO SIT ON THE ATLANTA CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD
ACRB has further expanded its already diversified Board with two additional seats, designated by City of Atlanta for 18 to 30 year olds, bringing the total number to 15 seats and currently 12 active members.
Kaylin Strahan is the first in the youth group to be confirmed by Atlanta City Council. She represents the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC). She will serve a three-year term.
The multi-talented Clark Atlanta University sophomore majors in Business Administration. One of her future goals is to become an attorney and entrepreneur so that she can impact the lives of those that are in need. The Chicago native was awarded the title of Miss Black Illinois Talented Teen in 2017 by the Miss Black USA Pageant, then represented Illinois at the National Competition in Washington D.C. where she won the title of Miss Congeniality. Strahan also competed in the 2018 and 2019 Track and Field State competition and Junior Olympics, representing her high school, breaking school records three times. When Ms. Strahan is not busy in her community or as an athlete, she also enjoys fashion. The newest and youngest ACRB member said, “I look forward to every opportunity I’m given to enhance and transform the lives of individuals that I can be of service to in any way.”
TUESDAY NIGHT TALKS WITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LEE REID
Early last year, due to the COVID-19 crisis, face-to-face contact with citizens was restricted by the Mayor who, out of an abundance of caution, imposed a stay-at-home order for all non-essential city employees. It kept this and other agencies from conducting routine outreach meetings and trainings. Given the events of 2020, with the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and others, the need to remind residents of their rights and contact the ACRB to report police misconduct was greater than ever.
Consequently, the agency launched a static/digital billboard campaign, including bus shelters, in more than 30 locations in the Atlanta Metro. The messages were clear: “We are here to protect your rights,” “It’s about respect and understanding,” “Know Your Rights! Stay Calm. Don’t Run! Report Police Misconduct”, “Investigates, Mediates, Equals ACRB. Call 404.865.8622.
A geo-fencing initiative simultaneously coincided with the billboard campaign. It placed our banner ads on mobile devices whenever a person came within a 5-mile radius of ACRB’s 12 bus shelters and 21 junior posters. It successfully drove users to the new ACRB mobile website, generating more than 333,000 impressions, and driving 42.4% of users to the ACRB website by mobile device, up 213%.
ACRB MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN MEANINGFUL DISCUSSIONS WITH APD AT THE ATLANTA POLICE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (APLI)
Board and staff members of the ACRB participated in a meeting of the Atlanta Police Leadership Institute (APLI) where many of the top commanders of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) make themselves available to address students, stakeholders, community activists and average citizen’s questions about relations with the people the officers are sworn to protect and serve. “It (APLI) Is a graduated tier program in which we prepare leaders for the department,” said Dr. Stephanie Thomas, APLI Program Director. “We have a focus on communication, and we also have a (curriculum) focus on community development.” Officers and citizens were divided into groups and instructed to discuss questions about a series of critical issues. ACRB Chair Cecilia Houston-Torrence explained, “We’re here to learn about what’s going on with the Atlanta Police Leadership Institute and participate in this great dialogue about community relationships between our citizens and police. Very necessary dialogue.” Board member Dr. Michael Woodard posed a series of questions that were addressed about the use, protocol and maintenance of body worn cameras by APD officers. Board member Dorthey Hurst, speaking from personal experience during protests in her neighborhood, shared with the group her concerns about respecting the rights and privacy of residents during police-controlled demonstrations. “Right now, we’re giving more support to the protesters than we’re giving to the police and the (people) that live in that community, and the scales are not balanced…We got to figure out a way to allow people to have the right to protest, but allow people who live in the community…have the ability to live in their homes and have the ability to walk out of their homes, which we were not…” Board member Gloria Hawkins-Wynn presided over a group that concluded that “the broad concept is general welfare of the public is always weighed up against individual rights.” Dr. Thomas said the foundation of the APLI curriculum comes from IACP, the International Association of Chiefs of Police. “We wanted a curriculum flexible enough so that we could incorporate something unique that fits Atlanta. Atlanta is such a diverse city, and we wanted to make sure we had a curriculum that incorporates those ideas. So, what we did, we built a curriculum based on community involvement. We wanted our focus to be on the community and building relationships within the community. In order for us to build a successful relationship, we must include the Atlanta Citizen Review Board.”
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND BE HEARD!
The keyword in the Atlanta Citizen Review Board is CITIZEN. The agency is only as effective as the level of Citizen involvement. This is why ACRB urges all Citizens to regularly monitor, question and support its work. This is why ACRB urges all Citizens to know where your elected officials stand on civilian oversight of police and corrections. This is why it is so important for Citizens to be registered and vote. This is why Citizens need to join and be active in community groups. Get involved in Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs). Attend Public Safety meetings, Atlanta City Council meetings and ACRB KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Training Workshops. Become a member of the ACRB. There are two vacant seats. (Contact representative entities, Atlanta City Council President’s office and APAB NPU units A-F.) Call the public comment lines when Council or ACRB votes on issues that matter to Citizens like you. Thank you, Citizens of Atlanta, for your continued support.
THANKS TO ALL NEW ACRB SUBSCRIBERS FROM THE ANNUAL ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL, ATLANTA FARMERS MARKETS & THE ANNUAL SWEET AUBURN MUSIC FEST
