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Police Brutality Institute (PBI)

America has a history of police brutality. Part of our struggle stems from laws, more often than not, that justifies abuse at the hands of law enforcement. We propose a historical overview of police brutality in the city of Knoxville, Knox County and surrounding counties. Through a collection of information using oral, print, and video, CPR intends to create a viable historical collection of police confrontations and misconduct that either lead to unlawful arrests, unjust prison sentences, or untimely deaths. This program, PBI, is one way at offering an information database available to communities seeking resource material that may support or legitimize complaints of abuse targeted at particular neighborhoods, racial groups, age groups, persons with disabilities, etc.

Police brutality can often cross social, political, and economic boundaries, but during this process we hope to develop a common analysis and definition that clearly articulates how and why police brutality exists. Communities can become empowered by recognizing those abuses. An example is the understanding of racial profiling. It has now been recognizes as police misconduct. There is viable data and historical proof that can uncover other actions by law enforcement, rather subtle or overt, that may be realized to be police misconduct. Our most recent video/dvd documentary highlighting one story involving law-enforcement wrongdoing during a public strip search conducted by the Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms (ATF) and the Knoxville Police Department (KPD), is and example of the diverse collection of information we intend to collect, store, and also present to the public.

In addition to building a Police Brutality Institute that documents individual occurrences, we will compare and contrast local affects with national (and possibly international) concerns. We must continually examine the nature of police brutality as a national phenomenon with the hope of creating solutions to social problems, rather than constantly perpetuating a genocidal-like effect on a particular community or class of people.

In conclusion, the creation of such a resource and presentation as PBI may serve as a temporary exhibition in local venues, festivals, and/or via the web, creating the opportunity to examine the relationship between individuals, communities, law enforcement, and the justice system in America.

PBI is currently a work in progress as members collect past newspaper articles and television coverage of police incidents, video documenting oral experiences of individuals, and collaborating with organizations specifically working to end police brutality across America. Through awareness we can continue to build a group of citizens ready to take collective action.
 

 
JOIN CPR TODAY!

Citizens for Police Review (CPR) hopes you will join us and stand courageously against injustice.  We just lost a courageous woman in Rosa Parks.  Let's hope her courageous spirit can fuel us to higher levels of commitment in our work.

CPR is looking to you for leadership.  Our organization is made up of citizens like you who are wanting to work together to make a change in our Criminal "In-Justice" System.  Help us stop police abuse, racial discrimination in the courts, and human rights violations in the prison system.

The incarceration data paints a dismal future for those who are economically disadvantaged if the present trend continues.  Join us in effecting a change.
 

CURRENT NEWS

• CPR is planning its 10th Anniversary Public Education Event for the Summer 2008..
   
• CPR met with the Police Advisory Review Commission to request that data be collected on number of prisoners taken to hospital prior to being booked.
   
• CPR has begun its annual Membership Drive.
   
• CPR will establish a working group to monitor and recommend actions to improve PARC; a working group to document complaints, research, and to propose policy changes; and a working group to build local leaders and organizers
   

CPR Meetings

CPR Executive Board meets as needed and Board members meet quarterly and the organizations hosts an annual membership meeting; however all meetings, including executive board meetings, are open to board members, members, advisors, and members of the community. Please contact Umar Tate for more information at (865) 293-9457 or cpr4justice@aol.com.