As we look to reimagine Police Reform from a Black Agenda perspective, two questions must first be asked:
Given the reality that incremental Police Reform has not prevented unwarranted violence to black men and women, how do we change policing to reduce the number of interactions between weaponized police and members of our communities?
What alternative ways of promoting Public Safety and Wellbeing exist that would be more effective than using weaponized police officers?
Based on those pivotal questions, a couple of key conceptual ideas should guide our approach:
Create an ongoing framework for change, and Gain some community power of oversight over the SMPD via a Civilian Oversight and Transparency Commission (comprised of community members that reflect the ethnicity and socioeconomic background)
The following key points addresses issues from a short- and long-term perspective: