Re: Police brutality and the facts, editorial, 9/6
Although I agree that facts, and not emotion, must be the driving force of rallies, demonstrations and calls for change in our local police departments, I amicably differ with you on how the facts stand. And I certainly differ on the need for a disciplined, regulated police. I am a law-abiding citizen and victim of crime who was nearly shot by a police officer who erred in thinking I was breaking into the residence I live in. Luckily, I am alive today to write about it…
“We, as a self-determined community, reserve the right to uphold our own standards of justice. As such, our Tribunal for Justice hereby finds Chief Jeri Williams and the seven unidentified officers GUILTY of the death of Robert Ramirez… The People’s Tribunal for Justice also calls on the City Council to address the issue of police brutality as a core problem in our community by holding an official hearing at a meeting of the council.” Click to watch video [also, link to Spanish transcript, facts sheet, and photographs]:
– We invite the community to join us in reporting and testifying on police abuse or harassment. If you have been a victim, come and share your testimony (anonymously if you prefer).
– We will document incidents from the community to form an official tribunal declaration in order to expose the pattern of police abuse. and with the goal of forming a Community Police Review Board.
– There will be a “Know Your Rights” workshop. Come and inform yourself of your basic rights, on how to defend yourself when confronted by police, and how to submit an official complaint against abuse.
– Invitamos a la comunidad que reporte y dé testimonio sobre cualquier abuso u hostigamiento policiaco. Si usted fue víctima venga a compartir su testimonio (en forma anónima si así lo desea).
– Estaremos documentando incidentes de la comunidad para formar una declaración oficial del tribunal, y exponer el patrón de abuso policiaco, con la meta de crear un Comité Comunitario de Revisión Policiaca.
– También tendremos un taller “Conozca Sus Derechos”. Venga a informarse sobre sus derechos, cómo defenderse si es contactado por la policía, y como hacer una queja oficial para reportar casos de abuso.
***
9/11/12: Teresa D. Ramirez and Desiri Flores appeal to the Oxnard City Council and Oxnard Chief Jeri Williams to investigate and punish those police officers who beat and attacked Robert Ramirez after family friends called for medical help following a potentially lethal dosage of drugs. Instead of saving Robert, he died in their custody. Teresa provides details she learned personally from eye-witnesses to Robert’s brutal beating at the hands of Oxnard police.
9/11/12: Elliott Gabriel (Todo Poder al Pueblo Collective) speaks to the Oxnard City Council about its unwillingness to face up to the issues of police brutality, abuse, & mistreatment like that which led to the death of Robert Ramirez
Colectivo Todo Poder al Pueblo issued a symbolic “subpoena” to Oxnard Police Chief, Jeri Williams, to have her and the 7 unnamed officers who beat Robert Ramirez while he was handcuffed and in desperate need of medical attention, leading to his death. Those subpoenaed were ordered to appear before a people’s tribunal and face the community to be held accountable for their actions.
Notice how Police Chief Williams repeatedly asserts that she cannot comment on this matter because there is an open investigation yet she COMPLETELY COMMENTS ON THE SPECIFICS OF THE MATTER by stating, “…the evidence to date does not supports claims that Mr. Ramirez was beaten by officers. If such evidence exists, we need to be made aware of it.” She has the audacity to state this after hearing the victim’s mother tell her, point blank, a description of the first officer who started beating her son and how the rest joined in on the beating. Yet, Police Chief Williams claims that WE are the ones spreading false information. The TRUTH doesn’t lie.
Justice for Robert Ramirez!
9/15/12: [OXNARD, CA] Las autoridades en Los Ángeles [, Oxnard, y Anaheim] están bajo investigación por la reciente brutalidad policiaca en las comunidades y en las cárceles.
Astrid Solorzano nos cuenta cómo la comunidad reacciona a esta noticia.
Entrevista de Chuy Rocha (Colegio de Ventura), Verónica Flores, y Teresa D. Ramirez
(photo by Jun Hori/NHK Japan)
“Ramirez’s family and their lawyer have said police beat him as he overdosed on meth, keeping him in handcuffs and hitting him on his face and body when medical attention might have saved his life.
Police have said they did not strike Ramirez and did everything they could to get him needed medical care.“
Todo Poder al Pueblo Collective
www.TodoPoderAlPueblo.org
Media Contact:
(805)328-4763
poder805@riseup.net
COMMUNITY MARCH TO THE OXNARD CITY COUNCIL TO DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ROBERT RAMIREZ AND ALL VICTIMS OF POLICE BRUTALITY
What: March Against Police Brutality
When: Tuesday, September 11, 2012 at 5:00 PM
Where: Del Sol Park, Oxnard CA (Corner of Rose Ave & Camino del Sol)
We will gather at Camino del Sol Park before marching through the Colonia neighborhood to the Oxnard City Council Meeting downtown. We will demand justice for the brutal death of Robert Ramirez, who died in the custody of the Oxnard Police. We will also demand that the police budget be compared to the budget for community services such as youth programs, parks/recreation, and public transportation. The gang injunctions and similar military-style attacks on our neighborhoods must also be re-evaluated.
Bereaved Family Displays Son’s Photo Indicating that Brutal Beating Played Role in Son’s Death, City of Oxnard and Police Covering-Up Foul Play
The City of Oxnard’s corruption has been publicly, humiliatingly exposed on the statewide and national levels time and again from 2011-2012. The people are now demanding that it must be held accountable for the Oxnard Police Department’s brutal practices in our neighborhoods which have culminated in the tragic death of Robert Ramirez, aged 26. Past attempts to place police brutality on the agenda of the Community Relations Commission (CRC) have been met with concerted obstruction on the part of the City, thus we will take our demands to the City Council.
The people of Oxnard will no longer be shoved around. Community organizations such as the Todo Poder al Pueblo Collective have pledged to continue organizing actions to expose the ongoing patterns of police brutality such as that which claimed young Ramirez’s life.
CONTEXT: 8/22/12 – “Small city with big problems”: Oxnard Residents March to Community Relations Commission, Police Department to Demand End to Brutality – Bereaved Mother Displays Son’s Photo Indicating that Brutal Beating Played Role in Son’s Death, City of Oxnard and Police Covering-Up Foul Play http://tinyurl.com/OxnardBrutality
OUR DEMANDS:
• HANDS OFF OUR YOUTH: No more beatings, profiling, or harassment!
• Crooks and killers must step down and be held accountable to the people of Oxnard
• Compare police budget to social services budget. We need money for services (parks and recreation, public transportation, youth programs), not the militarization of our community!
• Re-Evaluate the Gang Injunction and mandatory 30-day impound of unlicensed motorists’ cars
• Put Police Misconduct and Brutality on the City Council Agenda
• Establish a fully independent Community Police Complaint Review Board with the power to take strong action to address these problems
VIDEO:
1) 8/20/12 People’s Assembly @ Oxnard Community Relations Commission: http://youtu.be/gFU-p1g_UKM
2) HispanTV, 8/20/12: HispanTV: Oxnard protesta contra la brutalidad policial / Ciudad pequeña, Pueblo Grande Que Resiste http://youtu.be/tSHfGVjRiS0
“Small city with big problems”: Oxnard Residents March to Community Relations Commission, Police Department to Demand End to Brutality
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Bereaved Mother Displays Son’s Photo Indicating that Brutal Beating Played Role in Son’s Death, City of Oxnard and Police Covering-Up Foul Play
(OXNARD, CA) On Monday, August 20, 2012, over a hundred local residents gathered in Oxnard’s Plaza Park before marching through downtown and into City Council Chambers to denounce police abuse and brutality at the Community Relations Commission (CRC) meeting. The community strongly conveyed that the CRC must carry out its mandate, “to promote better human relations among all city residents,” and ensure that these issues be placed on the next agenda of the Oxnard City Council. The community marched to the Oxnard Police Department headquarters where they powerfully chanted “Killer Cops, Off our Streets!” and similar slogans for approximately 30 minutes before returning to the park.
Full video here (28:13) : http://youtu.be/-RTZWFSJzAs
The Commission originally informed the Oxnard-based Todo Poder al Pueblo Collective that there were going to be formal presentations on the matter, and that the issue of severe misconduct on the part of the Oxnard Police Department (OPD) was going to be an item on the agenda. However, four days prior to the meeting, organizers were informed that interim City Manager Karen Burnham, City Attorney Alan Holmberg, and Chief of Police Jeri Williams had met and decided to block the item. Despite this setback, the community persisted by testifying on their experiences of police brutality and laid out its demands during the public comment segment of “items not on the agenda.”
The community’s core demands mandated systemic change to Oxnard Police Department practices in order to halt the ongoing pattern of police abuse and brutality. Additionally, the community called for the establishment of an independent, community-based, Police Complaint Review Board with the power to take action when police officers mistreat or harm the community in any way.
The bereaved family of Robert Ramirez, who died in the custody of the Oxnard Police Department on the night of June 23, 2012, spoke out and made an anguished appeal for an independent investigation of his brutal death. Concerned that Ramirez was possibly experiencing a drug overdose, family friends who were seeking medical attention called 911. Eye witnesses (who wish to remain anonymous) informed the family that they saw what appeared to be Tasers used on the young man, in addition to the savage beating of the handcuffed Ramirez by seven to ten Oxnard Police officers. A poster-sized photograph of the deceased Robert Ramirez was presented by the family before the CRC clearly indicating extensive facial bruising and physical trauma – evidence that the young Ramirez had been severely beaten prior to his tragic death.
Choking back tears, Teresa Ramirez stated that the OPD’s current practices could claim the lives of Commission members’ children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews if OPD brutality isn’t put to an end. The grieving mother noted, “I’m not saying that every single police officer in this town is brutal and mean. But everyone knows who they are, and they’re still in our streets.” She also asked, “Why does the City ignore us? We are being brutally abused.” She then called for an independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding her son’s death.
Individuals present during public comments were unanimous: “We’re a small city but we have big problems.” This statement was made by Alberto Ramirez, who emotionally detailed his experiences with Oxnard police officers: “I’ve got bills from the hospitals because officers also abused me. And I end up having to pay for them – for the x-rays.” Appealing to the Commission, he asked that they “just help us out… the police are getting away with too much.”
Also, the marchers strongly urged the CRC to assess the large, discriminatory gap between the police budget (which consumes nearly 60% of the city budget) versus monies allocated to parks and recreation, youth programs, and the employment of local youth.
A sign displayed by a community member read “Crooks and Killers Step Down!” Foul play has long been an open secret at the Council Chambers of the City of Oxnard. Recently, the City was the target of a two-year FBI investigation that began with federal raids on the offices and homes of city officials and ended by uncovering what the Ventura County district attorney office has gently called, “a clear pattern of fiscal waste.” This pattern of waste and corruption has included “improper borrowing” by the currently-suspended City Manager Ed Sotelo as well as self-rewarded retirement perks. The DA’s report (read complete report here)also uncovered the usage of “virtually unlimited” city funds spent on “travel expenses” related to lavish vacations by city officials, including trips by the outgoing Mayor Tom Holden to the home of a wealthy Oxnard land developer—undoubtedly—an issue of conflict of interests. The disgraced mayor and suspended city manager are currently facing a combined $23,000 in fines from the state ethics agency.
The Todo Poder al Pueblo Collective has called for a mobilization to the next meeting of the Oxnard City Council, Tuesday, September 11th. The action is set to begin at Plaza Park (5th and C St.) in downtown Oxnard at 6pm and the City Council meeting will begin at 7PM.
“Ciudad pequeña con problemas grandes”: Residentes de Oxnard marchan a la Comisión de Relaciones Comunitarias, Departamento de Policía, para exigir fin a la brutalidad
Miércoles, 22 de agosto 2012
Madre afligida comparte foto de hijo mostrando brutalidad que jugó papel en su muerte, Ciudad de Oxnard y Policía encubren mala conducta
(Oxnard, CA) El lunes 20 de agosto, 2012, más de cien residentes locales se reunieron en la Plaza de Oxnard antes de marchar por el centro y llegar al Concilio de la Ciudad donde denunciaron incidentes de abuso y brutalidad policial ante la Comisión de Relaciones Comunitarias (CCR) durante su junta. Saturada con fuerza y valor, la comunidad exigió que el CCR lleve a cabo su mandato de “promover las buenas relaciones humanas entre todos los habitantes de la ciudad,” y asegure que estas cuestiones se incluyan en la agenda de la próxima reunión del Consejo Municipal de Oxnard. La comunidad marchó hasta la sede del Departamento de Policía de Oxnard donde gritaban enérgicamente, “¡Policías asesinos, fuera de nuestras calles!” y otros lemas similares durante media hora antes de regresar al parque.
Grabación de Vídeo Completa (28:13) : http://youtu.be/-RTZWFSJzAs
La Comisión le había comunicado al Colectivo Todo Poder al Pueblo, basado en Oxnard, que se iban a llevar acabo presentaciones formales sobre el tema durante la junta, y que la cuestión grave de mala conducta por parte del Departamento de Policía de Oxnard (OPD) se incluiría en la agenda oficial. Sin embargo, cuatro días antes de la reunión, los organizadores fueron informados que el administrador municipal interino Karen Burnham, el abogado de la ciudad Alan Holmberg, y el Jefe de la Policía Jeri Williams, se reunieron para lograr impedir que el tema fuera parte de la junta. A pesar de este obstáculo, la persistencia de comunidad la llevó a testificar sobre sus experiencias de brutalidad policial y a presentar sus demandas durante los comentarios públicos de la sección “asuntos no incluidos en el orden del día.”
Las demandas de la comunidad exigen un cambio sistémico a las prácticas del Departamento de Policía de Oxnard con el fin de detener el patrón de abuso policial y brutalidad. Además, los presentes pidieron que se establezca una comisión independiente, basada en la comunidad, que funcione como Junta de Revisión de Quejas Policiales y que tenga el poder de tomar acción cuando agentes de la policía maltraten o abusen de la comunidad en cualquier manera.
La familia de Robert Ramírez, quien murió en la custodia del Departamento de Policía de Oxnard la noche del 23 de junio de 2012, se pronunció ante la CCR e hizo un llamado para una investigación independiente de la muerte brutal del joven. Preocupados por Ramírez, quien parecía estar pasando por una sobredosis de drogas, amigos de la familia buscaron atención médica llamando al 911. Testigos presentes (que desearon permanecer anónimos) informaron a la familia que vieron lo que parecía ser uso de armas Taser por parte de los policías, además de presenciar la golpiza salvaje del inofensivo y esposado joven a causa de entre siete a diez miembros de la policía de Oxnard. La familia presentó ante la CCR una fotografía de tamaño póster del difunto que demostró claramente el trauma extensivo en su cara—lo cual ayuda a comprobar que Ramírez fue severamente golpeado antes de su muerte.
Conteniendo sus lágrimas, la madre de Robert Ramírez, Teresa, indicó que las prácticas actuales de la OPD llegarán a tomar la vida de los hijos de los miembros del CCR, sus nietos, sobrinas y sobrinos, si es que no se pone un fin a la brutalidad por parte del OPD. La afligida madre señaló: “No estoy diciendo que cada uno los oficiales de policía en esta ciudad sea brutal y malo. Pero todo el mundo sabe quiénes son y todavía están en nuestras calles.” También preguntó, “¿Por qué nos ignora la ciudad? ¡Nos están abusando brutalmente!” También ella pidió una investigación independiente sobre las circunstancias que provocaron la muerte de su hijo.
Las personas presentes durante los comentarios públicos fueron unánime: “Somos una ciudad pequeña pero tenemos problemas grandes.” Esta declaración la hizo Alberto Ramírez, quien emocionalmente detalló su experiencia con los agentes de policía de Oxnard: “Tengo las facturas de los hospitales porque los oficiales también abusaron de mí. Y yo acabé teniendo que pagar por ellos – por los rayos X.” Apelando a la Comisión, pidió que “sólo ayúdenos…la policía se está saliendo con demasiado.”
Además, los manifestantes instaron firmemente a la CCR para que evalúe la brecha grande y discriminatoria en el presupuesto municipal, comparando el departamento de policía (que consume casi el 60% del presupuesto de la ciudad) con las sumas asignadas a los departamentos de parques y recreación, programas y empleo para jóvenes locales.
Un letrero que mostró un miembro de la comunidad afirmó “¡Ladrones y Asesinos Fuera!” La mala conducta y la corrupción han plagado la ciudad por parte del Consejo Municipal. Recientemente, la ciudad fue sujeta a una investigación de dos años por el FBI que comenzó con incursiones federales en las oficinas y viviendas de los funcionarios de la ciudad, y terminó por descubrir lo que la oficina del abogado fiscal del Condado de Ventura ha llamado ligeramente, “un patrón claro de residuo fiscal.” Este patrón de malgasto y corrupción incluyó “préstamos indebidos” por Ed Sotelo, el administrador municipal actualmente suspendido, así como la auto-recompensa de beneficios de jubilación. El informe de la fiscalía (véase en su totalidad aquí) también descubrió el uso de fondos de la ciudad “prácticamente ilimitados” que se usaron para “gastos de viajes” en relación a las vacaciones espléndidas por funcionarios de la ciudad, incluyendo viajes hechos por el Alcalde Tom Holden a la casa de un adinerado desarrollador inmobiliario de Oxnard—sin duda—una cuestión de conflicto de intereses. El deshonrado alcalde y el suspendido administrador de la ciudad actualmente se enfrentan a un total de $23,000 en multas por la agencia estatal de ética.
El Colectivo Todo Poder alPueblo hace un llamado para la próxima reunión del Consejo Municipal de Oxnard, el martes 11 de septiembre. La acción está programada para comenzar en La Placita (Calles 5 y “C”) en el centro de Oxnard a las 6pm y la reunión del Consejo Municipal comenzará a las 7pm.
Colectivo Todo Poder al Pueblo 
