On June 4, 2019, CJPC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove joined fellow activists in front of city hall to demand accountability from the Raleigh Police Department in the wake of Soheil Maharrad’s recent death. Blagrove was joined by Rolanda Byrd (Raleigh PACT), Faisal Khan (Carolina Peace Center), Gerald Givens Jr (Raleigh-Apex NAAPC), Kerwin Pittman (Recidivsim Reduction Educational Program Services), Greear Webb and Zainab Baloch (Young Americans Protest).
“We will no longer allow elected officials to placate us with words and turn around and woefully disappoint with the failure to act,” said Blagrove. “There is an election cycle approaching. There is power in the vote and we will make it our business to educate the people, harness their power, and unleash that power on anyone who does not use their elected office to carry out the will of the people.”
The group gathered to ensure transparency, accountability, and meaningful change within the Raleigh Police Department. Specific demands include:
- Funding be provided so that EVERY Raleigh police officer that interacts with the community be/become CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) trained
- Raleigh invest in “automatic holster-activated” body cameras AND that it be mandated that these cameras are always on during interactions with the public (Also that officers are disciplined for not doing the above)
- Raleigh City Council agree to a Community-oversight Board to truly provide transparency between police and community
You can download and read the full text of the demand letter.