----- Original Message ----- From: Becky Dennison Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 5:42 PM Subject: Next Tuesday - Action against Police Abuse in Downtown LA
Hi everyone, Please join LA CAN members next week! This week marks the one-year "anniversary" of the Safer Cities Initiative downtown - an initiative promoted by the business community and elected officials and directly intended to pave the way for the gentrification of downtown. While the Mayor and City Attorney tout its success in reducing crime, the community's realities have been far different. We hope allies across Los Angeles will speak out against this racist police initiative, the criminalization of poverty, the complete disregard for constitutional rights, the blanket policy of prison for drug addicts instead of treatment, and the use of police to remove poor and homeless people from downtown instead of providing needed housing and jobs. Just some of the realities over the past year.... v 750 arrests and 1,000 citations PER MONTH in a community home to only about 13,000 people - 75% of whom are African American and all of whom are low-income v Among over 1,300 arrests by the "Safer Cities Task Force" unit, only 22 were for serious, violent crime v Citations issued at 48 to 69 times the rate of anywhere else in the city - leading to fines that can't be paid, warrants and arrests v "Catch and release" search policies that violate the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, resulting in an order by the US District Court to cease documented illegal search procedures v Written, documented policy of denying access to drug treatment through Proposition 36 programs if arrested in the red-lined "5th Street Corridor" - instead requiring 2 to 4 year prison sentences v Police brutality against numerous residents, including an incident that led to the death of a woman suffering from homelessness and mental illness Poor people are not leaving downtown - no matter the scare tactics. The City of LA must end the policing of poverty and start creating jobs, housing and services. So join us!! Tuesday, October 2nd 8:00 am 456 S. Main Street (LA CAN offices) March to Parker Center, Action on Parker Center Lawn, Testimony at Police Commission at 9:30 am [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
