A View From the Executive Director: Why File a Complaint with ACRB
Policing should reflect the values and expectations of the community. A part of making that happen includes when citizens have concerns about police conduct where they can have a fair forum which will treat them respectfully and professionally to address their concerns. The only way we can correct or address police misconduct is when we are made aware of the issue by citizens, regardless of your social class in life. You have to let us know what you are experiencing in your community. If you have concern about the action of an Atlanta police or corrections officer, call us at 404-865-8622, email ACRB at acrb@atlantaga.gov or submit a complaint on our website.
ACRB WELCOMES ITS NEWEST BOARD MEMBER, DAUD SHEIKH
Congratulations to Daud Sheikh who took the oath of office to serve a three-year term to be-come the newest member of the ACRB. He replaces former APD Officer Trudy Boyce. The highly accomplished and decorated police commander represents the City Council President’s office, and fills the only vacancy on the Board that requires that the candidate from the office of Council President has law enforcement experience. The retired APD Zone 4 Commander (2015-2020) comes to the Board with decades of service in law enforcement. “It’s great to be able to have him on the Board,” said Executive Director Lee Reid as he introduced Sheikh at the Board’s February 2022 meeting. “It’s my pleasure to join the hardest working team from what I’m hearing,” Sheikh said to the Board. “I had over 27 years experience before I retired from the Atlanta Police Department. My career took me from downtown to Buckhead. My last assignment was in Zone 4, Southwest Atlanta… I had experience from cyber-crime, Homeland Security where I was in charge of the Criminal Investigations Unit in Zone 4 and some other units. So, I’m here to support you and work with you,” Sheikh stated. Sheikh’s knowledge of APD policy, procedure, and law enforcement perspective will be a valuable asset as the Board adjudicates cases.
Police Shoot Atlanta Citizen 76 Times,Two officers Plead Not Guilty to Murder Charges
Two police officers pleaded not guilty to the shooting that result-ed in the killing of 26-year-old Jamarion Rashad Robinson on August 5, 2016, as they served warrants for him out of Atlanta and Gwinnett County. The U.S. Marshal’s Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force reportedly tracked Robinson to his girlfriend’s apartment in East Point. Officers say he had a gun and refused to put it down. Autopsy reports show Robinson was shot 76 times.
It has been reported by various news sources that investigators believed Robinson fit the description of someone who pointed a gun at Atlanta police officers days earlier.
The officers are Eric Heinze, an assistant chief inspector with the U.S. Marshal’s Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force, and Kristopher Hutchens, a Clayton County police officer working with the task force. They were indicted in October 2021 on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, making false statements and violation of oath by a public officer.
Robinson had been a college football player at Clark Atlanta University and Tuskegee University, and had no criminal convictions. Robinson’s family, which has been actively bringing media attention to the fatal police shooting to attain what they call #JusticeForJam, said the officers’ not guilty plea is a new step in their push for justice.
Monteria Robinson, Jamarion’s mother., was quoted by wsbtv.com saying ,“You know I do want a conviction so I can put this behind me and eventually have some sort of peace.”
There was no body-camera footage of the shooting reported, because at the time, federal policies did not allow U.S. Marshals or local police officers assisting them to wear body cameras. Cell phone video from outside the apartment where the shooting took place captured nearly three minutes of gunfire. Heinze and Hutchens are out on bond.
Veteran Reporter, Writing for Black News Platform, Features the ACRB
For nearly two decades, award winning investigative reporter Donnell Suggs has worked at newspapers in various capacities throughout Georgia. Currently, Suggs serves as the Sports and Entertainment reporter at Atlanta Business Chronicle, but he decided to contribute to the new Capital B Atlanta platform (https://capitalbnews.org), part of a local-national nonprofit news organization that produces in-depth civic journalism on topics of crucial importance to Black people. Suggs decided it was important to make a report on police misconduct and wanted to feature the ACRB. The article was his first contribution to Capital B Atlanta.
“I felt that the Atlanta Citizen Review Board was not only a great resource for the community, but also I felt like you all have a position in the community where you’re not taking sides, per se, or you are, in a sense, here for the people, so you aren’t going to look to try to steer me in a particular direction. You are just going to give me the information I needed for what you all provide to the community. I knew that it would be a safe space…I wanted to go directly to the source, the place where people could go to get help…it’s necessary that as a citizen of Atlanta, you don’t feel like no one’s got your back. Some people feel that way. I’m not in a distressed area, but still, you want to know there’s a place you can go to get help and not be judged…Citizen Re-view Board is very important in that sense. You can go there and get what you need and not have to feel like you’re being judged…you can speak your mind…it’s pretty clear what you all are trying to get done.”
ACRB AT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CIVILIAN OVER-SIGHT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT (NACOLE) CONFERENCE
Executive Director Lee Reid attended the annual conference of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) Conference in Tucson, Arizona.
NACOLE is a non-profit organization that brings together individuals and agencies working to establish or improve oversight of police officers in the United States. NACOLE welcomes people and organizations committed to fair and professional law enforcement that is responsive to community needs.
Mr. Reid was a part of a panel that discussed the effects of major events on civilian oversight agencies. The panel focused specifically on the impact of the George Floyd protests on civilian oversight agencies across the nation. The ACRB participated as a panelist for this session. The panelists discussed the challenges to address citizens’ con-cerns and demands of the agency during the protests and after.
Some agencies experienced an increase in complaints, while others did not recognize an increase in complaints due to the protests. The panelists agreed that community engagement and outreach was critically important to ensuring that the agencies were relevant to the conversations, positioned to take advantage of the energy and demands for increased officer accountability. The ACRB shared Atlanta’s response to the local and national protests with a dis-cussion on the increase to the agency’s budget and staff, enhancements to the ACRB legislation, and addition of the agency to the city charter.
Atlanta Citizens Express Concerns, Diverse Solutions, to Improve Relations With Law Enforcement
The following solutions were brought to the table by the community:
- APD and business people encountering citizens who display mental health issues and how to quickly deal with them was a prevailing topic. Tyrone Dennis noted that people with mental health issues present themselves in many different ways that sometimes require a split second response. You have to size up a situation quickly or it could escalate in a totally different situation. You have to get to know your people within your community, and how you do that is you get to know some of the older people in the community, who may know the person and the best way to effectively communicate with them.
- There was a call for greater inter-agency sharing of resources among authorities in urban planning, Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs), and education and law enforcement. Speakers from throughout the community, including Fulton County Sheriff, Patrick Labat, addressed the socioeconomic conditions that result in the black water boys on the corners of Atlanta; for example, that would give kids more things to do to avoid the option of committing a crime.
- Clippers & Cops co-founder, APD Officer Orrick Curry, called for a grassroots collaboration to solving issues in the community and not to expect the government or big corporations to make it happen, “so that our kids will have a place to go and play, and feel safe.” He stated that the next move for the police department should be for officers to get out in the community and interact with youth in order to give them an opportunity to see the police interacting with the community in a positive light.
- As always, everyone spoke with great passion and concern. Yet, their experiences and points of view were treated with respect, proving citizens can disagree without being disagreeable. In the future, the nuggets of wisdom derived from the Clippers and Cops sessions may evolve from a monthly in-person conversation in a barber shop to a follow-up event on social media, which would greatly expand the opportunity for more citizens to contribute to the conversation.
ACRB REACHES OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE
ACRB joined fellow stakeholders and service vendors at the Community Blitz for the Mechanicsville / Summerhill neighborhoods. Dunbar Recreation Center and Elementary School were the staging areas for a clean up and food give away. (Above) Communications Specialist Melissa Jean-Baptiste dialogues with an APD sworn officer and clean up volunteer Ryan S. Gammon.
Tricked-out three-wheeled vehicles and “Buffalo Soldiers” on horseback highlighted the Second Annual Black History Month Parade held by the East Lake Family YMCA in Atlanta’s Kirkwood Community. Thanks to YMCA Health Advocate Vivian Moore for inviting the ACRB to inform citizens about our programs and services. “The celebration of Black History means so much to me and others that know how deep the struggle was and still is,” Moore stated. “We know that we stand on the shoulders of others and we know that folks of all colors stand with us.” One of the parade spectators said she stopped by our table to get information about her laws and rights so that she can teach her kids and share with her family members.” The unidentified citizen said it was important for their safety and their well-being.
The ACRB meets and greets citizens at the Black History Month Parade at the East Lake Family YMCA in the Kirkwood section of Southeast Atlanta. They learned about the agency and signed up on the subscribers list.