As a disclaimer, I must first say that I currently serve as the Chair of the of the newly appointed Citizen Review Board for the BART Police Department. I was appointed to represent District 9 by Board of Directors member Tom Radulovich. I also serve on board the Berkeley Police Review Commission and have been a member since 2004.
I say the protesters are misguided because one must believe that their ultimate and desired result is to affect positive change. To disturb the life of thousands of commuters who depend on the BART system to get back and forth from work to their homes is irresponsible and callous. Is it misguided because it does not engage the community at large but it isolates them from the public they so firmly believe they represent. It begs the question of whether they are truly looking for the best interest of society and commuters or whether the bigger agenda is just to create chaos and disruption due to their anti-establishment beliefs. As a firm believer in civil rights and a long time activist , I do appreciate the necessity of standing up firmly and loudly as a call to arms, but I also believe in a positive and direct engagement that creates and delivers results. If the end result desired is disruption and the disbandment of the Police Department, regardless of the damage created to the public and the transit system , then they are truly shaking the wrong tree. The fruit they will garnish will not be one of success but one of a extremely unhappy public.
The Citizen Review Board and the office of the Auditor exist to facilitate change and work as a conduit between the community and the BART board of directors, the General Manager and The Chief of Police. They meet every second Monday of the month at the BART Board of Directors boardroom and are open to listen to complaints by the public. They have formed several subcommittees dealing with bylaws and regulations, board members training, community outreach and website visibility. They also plan to form subcommittees on crowd control, use of force, police regulations, training and general orders recomendations. They will be an intrinsic part of the disciplinary steps taken when complaints are generated and investigated by the Internal Affairs Department and the Independent Auditor.
There is community participation, there is a viable means for discussion and resolution. Positive change and an effective means to move the Police Department forward exists. If the protesters are truly invested in change, they will engage this community board, participate in the process and channel their energies in the right direction. To continue to do otherwise truly diminishes their vision, their concerns and proves their critics right. They need to move from mob tactics that might look effective but are truly ephemeral to a more concerted and intelligent effort that will in the end gather bigger results.
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