http://stopthedrugwar.org/raidpetition
Click the above link to sign the petition.
"Enough Is Enough": Petition to Limit Paramilitary Police Raids in America
Whereas:
* the killing of 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston by Atlanta police on a "no-knock" raid is only one of many needless tragedies both before and since;
* the cause of Johnston's death -- paramilitary policing and the proliferation of "SWAT" teams -- is a frightening and dangerous consequence of the failing "drug war" and inconsistent with the idea of community policing;
* the drug war concept itself has inflamed the judgment of many law enforcers, undermining the nuance and caution needed of peace officers.
We, the undersigned, therefore, call for:
* a nationwide ban on the use of aggressive police entry tactics in most non-emergency situations;
* a "bright line" to be drawn between police and military, both operations and training;
* reform or termination of programs and policies that have encouraged reckless or unethical behavior in the criminal justice system;
* greater accountability to be required from law enforcement agencies, and systems to ensure it, with regard to this nationwide problem; and
* the Judiciary Committees of federal, state and local legislatures to hold hearings on no-knock drug raids, paramilitary policing, confidential informants, and the related issues. Such proceedings should prominently feature testimony from victims of botched raids, or their survivors, and should address the detailed recommendations at http://stopthedrugwar.org/policeraids online.
It is not lightly that we seek to constrain the choices available to law enforcers, but the police community has been unable or unwilling to police itself. We respect the risks law enforcers face in the course of their duties. But the police mission is to make the rest of us more safe, not less. Furthermore, in most situations SWAT raids actually increase the danger to police officers, by escalating fear and tension.
We in the public have the right -- the innocent, even those suspected but by law presumed innocent -- to be safe in our homes and not be shot, burned by flash grenades or traumatized by extreme police raid tactics when there are alternatives. For the sake of public safety, the routine use of SWAT teams must be stopped. Enough is enough!
-- END -- Signed by:
[Your name] [Your address]
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