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Community Leaders to Discuss Civilian Oversight of Police on ACLU
Call-in Show to Air Live on April 24
April 23, 2002
MIAMI ? Civilian review boards with the power to scrutinize police shootings and investigate allegations of misconduct will be the focus of heated discussion April 24 on the ACLU's weekly cable access show where viewers can call-in and speak their minds.
The hour-long show, dubbed Freedom's Watchdog, will feature guest Jeanne Baker, a criminal defense attorney and an outspoken critic of the internal self-review mechanism previously in place at Miami Police Headquarters. Baker will be joined by Alberto Milian, of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association, who argues internal police investigations will be comprised by untrained civilians, and Dr. Eduardo Diaz, Executive Director of the Miami Dade County Independent Review Panel.
The live television show, produced by the ACLU of Florida, will air from 3 to 4 p.m. April 24 on WLRN's Community Channel 36. The studio is located at the Cable-TAP studios, 172 NE 15th St.
During the show, viewers can call (305) 995-2111 to comment on the issue, debate with the guests or ask questions.
The ACLU and other groups including Brothers of the Same Mind, Miami-Dade NAACP, and People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality spearheaded a successful campaign last fall for a Civilian Investigative Panel to investigate allegations of misconduct by City of Miami Police. The groups are now calling for a citizens' board with subpoena power to probe allegations of misconduct by Miami-Dade police officers.
The live television show airs live at 3 p.m. every Wednesdays and repeats at 7 p.m. on Thursdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays on Cable-TAP's Community Channel. The Community Channel is seen on Channel 36 except for 24 on Miami TCI, 15 on Media One, 55 on Strategic Technology, and 31 on TCI North/South.
The ACLU's educational series is airing under the auspices of the MiamiDade County Cable Television Access Project (CableTAP), a joint venture of MiamiDade County Public Schools, MiamiDade County government, and WLRN. Together they operate the largest cable system in the country, interconnecting to almost 500,000 households in MiamiDade County. The CableTAP productions give nonprofit organizations the opportunity to inform viewers about important issues that affect South Florida. The ACLU series will explore topics including voting rights, racial profiling, immigration, and felony disenfranchisement. Shows are produced by ACLU of Florida staff and board members. Some of the shows will be aired in Spanish and Kreyol.
Contact:
Alessandra Soler Meetze, ACLU-FL Communications Director, (305) 576-2337
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