2009 Abuse Documentation Campaign Report
It has been 10 years since we first started to record testimonials of police abuse in the community. Looking back now, we can see that our practice of educating the community about civil rights and at the same time engaging with law enforcement agencies to address problems has paid off. Over ten years, we found that while our methodology has remained the same, the number of cases of abuse reported to us has decreased.
This do not mean that abuse cases have gone away. In 2009, we recorded 19 cases and identified several possible trends. We have been in contact with the agencies involved to search for solutions.
The BNHR annual abuse documentation campaign is not a scientific study, but rather a sample of what is happening in our communities. Community participation is also a sign that community members are comfortable enough with our organization to report to use cases they may be fearful to report to the authorities.
