The greatest tool in battling systemic issues of police violence is to arm ourselves with knowledge and to band together as a community. Join us in staying informed with various areas of research and advocacy materials.
We base our work on the substantial research into community-led peacekeeping, the problems of the carceral state, and other related areas. Read the articles linked below to better understand the problems with militarized policing and alternatives that actually work.
Key Issue Area:
Community-led Violence Prevention Works
The Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act passed the D.C. Council unanimously in 2016, and was the product of a District-wide conversation around policing and public safety. The NEAR Act creates a framework to ensure residents safety while also addressing police abuses by establishing community-led violence prevention efforts.
Mayor Muriel Bowser's administration recently launched a website to track their progress implementing all 20 Titles of the NEAR Act. It's a good step, but raises many serious questions & concerns. Please find our grid outlining the areas that still need to be addressed here. This grid, along with this letter, was shared by with key members of the DC Council.
Key Issue Area:
Policing
Collected research materials on the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and general policing can be found here. Please find a listing of key pieces below:
Alternatives to Calling the Police (compiled by SURJ-DC)
Washington City Paper: "D.C. Is Teeming With Police Officers, So The Mystery May Be Why Crime Happens At All"
The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research: "Law Enforcement and Violence: The Divide between Black and White Americans"