The Citizens Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform is a diverse ad-hoc group of several organizations and individuals in North Alabama petitioning the Huntsville Police Department, Madison Police Department, and Madison County Sherrif’s Department to initiate the process of criminal justice reform at the local level following the death of George Floyd. 

     Criminal justice reform is needed here and across the country. We want to work with the government on the local level to craft these reforms to prevent police brutality and the unnecessary death of Black people during encounters with police. The world is awakening from the denial that the police use excessive force and unnecessarily brutalize and kill unarmed Black people. This brutality occurs at an alarming rate without any fear of consequences and has been going on for decades. We invite everyone who wants to get involved beyond the protests to ensure our local law enforcement agencies value all persons' human rights in carrying out their duties to protect and serve. We believe that it is time for our local law enforcement agencies to take the next step in implementing criminal justice reforms by doing the many things that are within their authority and power. 

     As residents of our city, county, and country, and as a show of good faith and commitment toward criminal justice reform by our elected officials, from this day and the many days to come, we expect the following to be enacted:

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

1. Make public (online) all Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) & Use of Force policies so that citizens and officers are equally informed as to how citizen/police contact should go.

2. Mandate annual training on agency SOP and Use of Force policies for officers as part of their required annual Alabama Peace Officer Standards & Training Commission (APOSTC) continuing education, and publicly archive completion certificates.

3. Publicly explain the hiring process as it pertains to screening candidates for racial bias. Does the current psychological screening make considerations for screening candidates for racial bias/discriminatory tendencies?

4. Publicly provide crime mapping data from each agency in Madison County on their respective agency web page.

5. Publicly provide officer complaint information from each agency in Madison County on their respective agency web page to include the nature of complaint and disposition. The complaint information should include posting how a citizen goes about filing a complaint and what is needed, and where to go to submit complaints.

6. Recommend public explanation from each agency in Madison County as to the agency procedures for handling officers who are discovered to have exhibited racial bias or discriminatory tendencies.

7. Recommend a third party panel consisting of members of the community to review agency SOPs for evidence of bias and over-policing. Report those findings to the public.

8. Recommend a diverse Citizen Complaint Review Board composed of members of the African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Caucasian communities to review citizen complaints and allow this panel to make SOP-rooted disciplinary recommendations to the mayor, city council, and agency executives.
9. Ensure 100% transparent process for releasing law enforcement body camera footage to the public.

10. Respond to the Tennessee Valley Progressive Alliance’s communication regarding the decriminalization of marijuana.

For more information on the Citizens Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform visit: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2678718569074226/