Who Will Police the Police?

Demand an independent investigation of the death of Sean Bell

On Sunday morning, Sean Bell was supposed to be getting prepared for his wedding. Instead, he was zipped into a body bag after being shot to death by New York City police.

It's a tragedy we've gone through too many times--an unarmed young Black man killed by the police in a senseless barrage of gunfire. History has shown that the District Attorney's office is too close to the police to investigate them. Please join us in calling for the appointment of an independent special prosecutor with no ties to New York City law enforcement. Your letter will be sent to Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly. After you send it, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

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Read the e-mail message that we sent to our members about this petition.

Here is the letter that we will send to Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly, unless your create your own. The letter will have your name on it.

Dear <Recipient>,

In the wake of Sean Bell’s tragic death this weekend, there is a burning desire for answers, and for justice, in New York City and across the country. We believe that justice can only be served by appointing an independent, special prosecutor with no ties to New York’s law enforcement community, and we are writing to urge that you do so.

Without an independent prosecutor, the investigation into Sean Bell’s death will be compromised by an inherent conflict of interest. District Attorneys regularly collaborate and work with police officers, and they should not be asked nor expected to conduct an investigation into potential wrongdoing by their friends and co-workers.

In meeting with the family and calling 50 shots by the police “unacceptable,” Mayor Bloomberg’s response to Sean Bell’s senseless killing was heartening. But it seems as though the mayor missed the point: he did not publicly acknowledge systemic issues that caused the shooting in the first place. The last few years have witnessed an increase in civilian complaints against the NYPD for harassment, racial profiling, beatings and false arrests against people of color in New York City. The systemic issues causing this pattern of police brutality cannot be addressed by an investigation led by someone close to the NYPD.

Too many unarmed Black men have died at the hands of the NYPD to deny that there’s a serious systemic problem. The NYPD is a force of over 37,000 uniformed officers. It’s larger than some small towns. We would never expect a town to simply police itself. But the truth is that no one is policing the New York City Police Department. In any large organization without adequate checks and balances, one can expect the kinds abuses and corruption that we’re seeing with the NYPD.

External oversight is desperately needed to prevent future tragedies like this one. Appointing a special prosecutor to investigate Sean Bell’s death is a necessary first step, but it should not be the last. I urge you to make sure that justice is served in the case of Sean Bell by insisting on the appointment of a special prosecutor.

Sincerely,

[your name here]