WHEREAS, the Detroit Police Department (“DPD”) has attacked unarmed people exercising their First Amendment rights in the streets;
WHEREAS, there were four police shootings of Detroit residents in the month of July 2020 alone, three of which were fatal;
WHEREAS, Hakim Littleton was one of the young Black men killed by DPD, on July 10, 2020;
WHEREAS, Detroit Police Chief James Craig has and continues to cover up the facts related to these police officer killings;
WHEREAS, Police Chief Craig has issued several contradictory explanations of his officers’ actions the day Hakim Littleton was killed in an attempt to exonerate them;
WHEREAS, we know that we cannot rely on the DPD to handle this case with justice;
WHEREAS, we are grateful to the determination of this generation of activists who are furthering our struggle as a people through the Black Lives Matter movement;
WHEREAS, we support the calls coming out of the movement for necessary social programs that respond to our people’s basic needs, over steady increases to police department budgets;
WHEREAS, these members of our community have a right to protest injustice and fight for respect and dignity for Black lives;
WHEREAS, protesters have been attacked by police in riot gear, beaten with batons, restrained in choke holds, mowed down by a police vehicle, subjected to lethal sprays and gases, and shot with rubber bullets;
WHEREAS, some protesters and observers have been hospitalized for injuries inflicted by DPD and other policemen;
WHEREAS, a lawsuit has been filed by protesters against DPD and Police Chief Craig;
WHEREAS, as a result of the lawsuit, an injunction has been issued against DPD restraining it from using batons, rubber bullets, lethal sprays and gases, and other modes of excessive force on protesters;
WHEREAS, Police Chief Craig continues to cover up and exonerate the criminal actions of his officers involved in abuse against those in the streets;
WHEREAS, Police Chief Craig supports surveillance against private citizens, and the use of facial recognition software that has been proven to falsely identify African Americans and other people of color;
WHEREAS, communities in Detroit are in need of jobs with a livable wage, affordable housing, quality education, quality healthcare, mental health services, substance abuse programs, youth programs, and running water in order to live a safe life with dignity and respect; and
WHEREAS, the DPS Police Command Center carries out surveillance and policing of school children, their parents and other community members, and facilitates the entrapment of students in the school-to-prison pipeline, requiring costly funding that could be better spent on essential educational and social services programs for the students and their families.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY PROCLAIMED by the Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability, of Detroit, Michigan, that we demand an independent investigation into the police killing of Hakim Littleton.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand an independent investigation into the killing of Darien Walker and the other young men who died at the hands of DPD.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand official public hearings on the police killing of Hakim Littleton, Darien Walker and others in our community.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand an end to police violence against groups and individuals demonstrating in the streets against systemic racism and police violence.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand the dropping of all charges, penalties and fees against protesters, legal observers and first aid workers.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand the names and badge numbers of police officers involved in citizen complaints and force investigations be released to the public.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand that officers with a long history of citizen complaints and/or force investigations be denied promotions in the department.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand police officers who fail to wear or turn on their body cameras be disciplined/penalized, and that all body and dash camera footage from officer involved shootings be released to the public in its entirety within a reasonable amount of time after the incident.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand the resignation of Detroit Police Chief James Craig.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand a livable wage, job programs, affordable housing, quality education, quality healthcare, mental health services, substance abuse programs, youth programs, and any other social programs needed for communities to live a safe life with dignity and respect.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand that every resident household have access to clean, running water.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that we demand that the DPS Police Command Center be immediately closed.
THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED that Black Lives Matter. Dated: November 21, 2020 By: Coalition for Police Transparency and Accountability
Member Organizations:
- Black Legacy Coalition
- Detroit and Michigan Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild
- Detroit Council of Elders
- Detroit Justice Center
- Detroit Will Breathe
- East Michigan Environmental Action Council
- The Hush House Black Community Museum
- James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership
- Keiga Foundation
- Michigan Coalition for Human Rights
- Michigan Liberation
- Moratorium Now Coalition
- National Conference of Black Lawyers, Michigan Chapter
- Riverwise Magazine
- Wayne County Criminal Defense Bar Association
- We The People of Detroit
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