09/29/2020
Calling all Salem witches! Tonight at 5:30 the city of Salem + Salem PD are hosting a virtual “Use of Force Town Hall” with a public q&a segment. This is NOT skippable. It’s a small step towards abolition + rebuilding, but it is crucial that we show up to be heard or there might not be a next step until we can elect a rad new city council NEXT fall.
Luckily the good folx over at have put together a set of questions that you can submit ahead of time OR ask in person. Don’t hesitate to ask just because someone else might have- the other side sure doesn’t! Qs below and in our stories, link to info for submitting questions + tuning in exactly where you’d expect it.
🎨by .acu
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-Will Salem PD commit to defunding the police budget by 50% and allocating those funds to public services that serve the community by fiscal year 2022?
-Will Salem PD commit to providing public records of alleged police violence and misconduct on the Salem police website in an easy to access manner?
-Why does Salem PD’s Use of Force continuum label pepper spray, impact weapons, pepperballs, and tasers as ‘non-lethal’ or ‘less-than deadly’ when all of these weapons can and have killed people?
-Do you recognize that any interaction with Salem PD (and police in general), whether it be verbal or physical, is a traumatic and violent experience for members of our community?
-Why do Black people make up 5% of Salem’s population, but they made up 10% of the arrests conducted by Salem PD in 2019?
-Does the Salem PD provide paid administrative leave to officers that are under investigation for violating their use of force policy?
-How does the use of force policy apply to school resource officers and any officers that encounter a minor?
-How does the use of force policy apply to Salem PD interactions with our houseless population?
-How to houseless people report police misconduct to the Salem PD if they don’t have a contact or address?
-How does the Salem PD use the Lifebridge homeless shelter to interact with the houseless population in Salem?
