Over the last several decades, policing has not only grown in power; it’s also grown in reach. Police have been deployed in recent decades to respond to issues they were never intended to, such as school discipline, mental health crises, and minor code enforcement–oftentimes targeted in Black, brown, and low-income communities. This poses an urgent question: how can we keep communities safe while also moving away from a heavy law enforcement approach?
Join ACLU of Delaware at the Wilmington Public Library for a panel discussion with Alex Vitale, Professor of Sociology, internationally acclaimed author, and Coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project at Brooklyn College. Professor Vitale will be joined by local community leader, Daron "Timeless Thomas" Swann. As an alum to the ACLU of Delaware Smart Justice Ambassadors program, and with his own lived experiences, Timeless is no stranger to the inequitable police state fostered by the politically-driven focus on “law and order.” The panel will also feature Haneef Salaam, ACLU of Delaware Campaign for Smart Justice manager.
Panelists will discuss the impact of policing on communities of color and how Delaware can redirect the power of police to those within our communities who are less militarized and often better equipped for situations currently responded to by police.
This event is free for all to attend at the Wilmington Public Library and will be live streamed from the ACLU of Delaware Facebook page.
Attendees may pre-order a copy of Alex Vitale’s book, The End of Policing, for $15 and pick up their copy in-person at the event to have signed following the panel discussion. Purchase your book on the RSVP form linked below!
