Resources

In response to a recent data request, the Controller’s Office is releasing historical information about the Police department’s annual budget and the number of total homicides citywide. Controller Rhynhart believes transparency is crucial for creating a fair and equitable City government that works for everyone, particularly the most vulnerable Philadelphians. The City has a responsibility to its residents to provide information in an easily accessible and understandable format. Per the data request, the data shows the Police department’s budget together with the city’s annual homicide total. It is important to note, however, that a number of factors beyond policing influence the homicide rate. Increases in the Police budget are due primarily to personnel costs, including negotiated wage increases and additional uniformed positions.

A brief that addresses the question: what happens after we defund police? The brief puts forth a framework for the key elements required for sustainable and meaningful change in jurisdictions that are investing in non-law enforcement responses. It also uplifts 13 different strategies and approaches that can be used as alternatives to law enforcement. In surveying the landscape of such alternatives, CJP identified numerous programs and efforts that are currently in operation and reflect a spirit of innovation, are community-led, and work to address the root causes of conflict, harm, and violence. This brief touches just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these types of solutions.

An extensive investigation by Cerise Castle into more than five decades of abuse, terror, and murder carried out by gangs within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

A BuzzFeed News investigation has found that employees at law enforcement agencies across the US ran thousands of Clearview AI facial recognition searches — often without the knowledge of the public or even their own departments.

Internal NYPD documents shed new light on the Strategic Response Group, or SRG, the heavily militarized police unit behind the crackdown on George Floyd protesters. This detailed report explores the background and function of the SRG, shares the SRG guidebook, explains its role in the 2020 protests, and ends with a look at accountability efforts.

May 25, 2020 was a both a personal tragedy for the Floyd family and a community tragedy. But it was also a watershed moment locally and nationally in people’s understanding of police violence, the racism and classism that underpins it, and the systems that enable it. This document seeks to provide specific recommendations for addressing police brutality, misconduct and abuse of authority in the state of Minnesota. Many of these recommendations are not new—our organization has presented them many times over the years. Prior failures by leaders at the city, county and state level to adopt these evidence-based solutions are what brought us to this place.

18 Million Rising knows that some of our family members and loved ones may not understand why we must stop calling the police, but now is the time to have these conversations with our families. We want to help support you through that conversation. So, we wrote a letter to help you have these conversations with your own family members. Share this page with your family and take action together. This letter is available in a variety of languages.

This week on Intercepted: Organizer and educator Mariame Kaba talks to lead producer Jack D’Isidoro about the case, efforts born out of the uprisings of this past summer, and the role hope plays in building a long-term abolitionist movement. Whether she’s breaking down the historical foundations of the carceral state or laying out a framework for mutual aid, Kaba works tirelessly to reimagine and create a system not rooted in punishment and oppression. They also discuss her new book “We Do This ’Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice.”

A guide to discussing transformative justice with youth, neighbors, colleagues, and friends. A good resource for educators to use with students.