National Alliance

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression is fighting for a specific long-term goal: community control of the police. But what exactly is community control of the police and how does it separate itself from other demands in the movement?

Community control of the police is the first step toward police accountability. The general public has no say in who polices the communities in which they live or how they are policed. Community control of the police would offer:

Direct Representation

A community control board would be created made up of individuals who have direct experience with the police - they could have lost a family member to the police, have been active in police accountability movements, experienced homelessness or have prior convictions. Any affiliation with law enforcement would disqualify individuals from joining the board. All candidates would be directly elected by the people.

Control over the police budget

The board would have the ability to make decisions on the police budget and have a seat at the table.

Disciplinary action

The board would have the ability to hire and fire police officers, as well as play a decisive role in how they should be disciplined.

Investigations

The board would strip away the right for police officers to investigate themselves and instead conduct independent investigations into police conduct. Police officers will be forced to cooperate with the board, and the board will be granted access to any and all police records.

These are just some of the ways community control could benefit the communities facing problems with policing. The board would act completely independent of the police department, unlike our own “Office of Oversight and Accountability.”

Is community control possible?

Yes. In fact, our chapter in Chicago has waged a long struggle to get community control of the police. Organizers collected over 80,000 signatures to get Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) in 2021 on the ballot and won. The ordinance created civilian boards to oversee the police and elected by the people. Everyone from teachers unions to Black-led grassroots organizations to the mayor himself began calling for police accountability. But that was only the first step; The next step is a referendum on the ballot this year that explicitly calls for community control of the police. They are committed to achieving their goal, just as we are in our city.

Why do we work with families?

In the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, we believe families are the backbone of our movement. The families who have direct experience with the police are the most dedicated fighters and can help inform our work as we move toward larger scale organizing. We want to help families lead and commit to this fight so they can get the justice they deserve.

What can you do?

Getting involved in this important struggle requires dedication and organization. We must fight on the ground to achieve immediate demands for families. We must campaign against the city and demand they stop giving police a free pass to murder individuals in our community and repress activists doing the work to make our community safer. Campaigns must be taken up to bring people into the movement and make strides toward our goal.

When do we meet?

The Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression meets every other Wednesday at 6pm in the IGE Office located at Fountain Street Church.