Passed by consent on Tuesday January 19, 2016 at the CSAI Accountability Forum 2, held at Fellowship Hall, to be presented to the Berkeley City Council at their meeting on Tuesday Jan. 26, 2016.
Resolution for Police Reform
WHEREAS, Unitarian Universalist congregations covenant by our Principles to honor the inherent worth and dignity of all persons, to affirm and promote justice, equity and compassion in human relations, to uphold the use of democratic process, the goal of peace, justice, and world community, and respect for the interdependent web of existence; and
WHEREAS we the citizens of the City of Berkeley in order to attain an educated, responsible, accountable, and non-militarized Police Department, acknowledge the need for Community Policing, and hereby present this Resolution to the Berkeley City Council;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
* That the City of Berkeley give preference to hiring Berkeley residents for our Police Department.
* All recruits, prior to entering the Police Academy, be tested for [working] knowledge of the rights of citizens and residents enshrined/acknowledged in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
* That all recruits undergo and pass an independent psychological evaluation regarding previous emotional history, especially in regard to violent military experiences, including PTSD trauma, as well as, bigotry and or bullying tendencies. The test should be done on an initial and periodic basis.
* Mental health counseling by independent professionals should be available and required for officers who display antisocial uncivilized behavior towards residents.
[oversight of this process by the Police Review and Peace and Justice Commissions]
* That all recruits be trained in and acknowledge the requirement to respect the rights of all persons, with special attention to persons of color, the poor, the homeless, the LGBTQ community, and those with mental health and other disability issues. Said training must include detailed instruction in all methods of de-escalation and crisis intervention.
* The Academy and the Department train all recruits and officers to use their words to de-escalate the situation before taking their gun out of their holster.
* That the BPD not accept any transfers from other Police Departments who have a history of violence, bullying or bigotry.
* There is absolutely no need for the purchase or acquisition of military weapons or equipment or military-type surveillance in Community Policing.
* The Police Department must re-evaluate its philosophy that orders all officers to “shoot to kill”.
* That the Police Department acquire and consistently use body cameras that stream continuously.
* That the Police Review Commission be given the authority to terminate officers for violation of Police Department procedures.
* The Police Department ban the indiscriminate use of tear gas, sound cannons, or other dangerous “crowd control” devices.
* The BPD have and maintain total control when utilizing outside Police units.
_________________________________________________________
Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists
Congregational Study Action Issue/UUA –Escalating inequality. Jan 19, 2016