1 Year After George Floyd's Death: Virtual Event In Bloomfield

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The Bloomfield Information Project will host a virtual panel discussion with local and national experts about equity in policing and public safety in Bloomfield and Essex County on Tuesday, May 25.

According to a news release from the local nonprofit, the virtual event will take place at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Registration is through Eventbrite.

Event panelists include:

• Rick Robinson, Chairman of the Newark Civilian Complaint Review Board
• Brooke Lewis, Associate Counsel at New Jersey Institute for Social Justice
• Sarah Fajardo, Policy Director at American Civil Liberties Union of N.J.
• Chris Burbank, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships with the Center for Policing Equity and former chief of police in Salt Lake City

The event comes one year after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis drew thousands of people to marches, meetings and events across Essex County to decry systemic racism.

• See related article: 5 Inspiring Glimpses Into Newark's George Floyd Protest
• See related article: George Floyd Protest In Bloomfield Is Peaceful, Powerful

Here are some of the reasons why more discussion is needed, according to the panelists:

Brooke Lewis – “This moment calls for measures that will create a culture of accountable policing, which is why the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice support pending legislation that would ban chokeholds, strengthen civilian oversight, and increase transparency around police disciplinary records. But, even as we pursue police accountability, we must also look for ways to achieve public safety outside of traditional policing, focusing on what communities need to be and feel safe. This can mean investing in non-police behavioral health first responders and other community-based resources that help communities stay safe without law enforcement intervention.”

Rick Robinson – “We truly can make a difference in society when law enforcement officers are held accountable for their unwarranted and unjust actions. The Newark Civilian Complaint Review Board has made tremendous progress thus far in building our infrastructure. By being involved in discussions relevant to policy recommendations and being equipped with the proper tools to thoroughly investigate police actions, the Newark Civilian Complaint Review Board could provide the transparency for which our community and the nation has been desperately calling. Our board members are committed to preventing future instances of what unconscionably and unnecessarily occurred to George Floyd, Eric Gardner, Michael Brown, and many more.”

Sarah Fajardo – “The ACLU-NJ has worked throughout seven decades to counter police misconduct and advance police reform, all with the goals of ending racial profiling and building police accountability, transparency, and reform. The Garden State has the opportunity to realize long calls from New Jerseyans for change and move toward racial justice. Establishing strong civilian oversight, building transparency, ending qualified immunity, and restricting use of force are all important first steps toward change, and all are within reach.”

The Bloomfield Information Project noted that according to the state’s new police use-of-force dashboard, Black people in Bloomfield, Newark, Essex County and all of New Jersey continue to more likely be subjects of police use of force.

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