Western Mass. Copwatch is outraged but not surprised that Holyoke police officers Sean Shattuck and Joseph Wilson have been cleared of all charges stemming from the December 18, 2007 incident that landed 23-year-old Holyoke resident Christopher Martinez in the hospital ER with a smashed-up face. Now that these armed and dangerous thugs in blue are just about back out on the streets, it’s just a matter of time until they and their gang hurt someone else — or worse. And the odds are pretty high it won’t be a white person.
As for The Republican’s sloppy, one-sided coverage of the trial (story below the cut), we ask: whatever happened to fair and balanced reporting? Don’t bother answering; we already know that, like most mainstream “news” media, Hampden County’s top rag is merely a mouthpiece for the police and the criminal injustice system they uphold– whether in uniform or not. Not mentioned once is the fact that besides being a college graduate, Martinez is currently serving active duty in the U.S. military. And, he has no criminal record.
Copwatch has been in touch with Martinez and his family and will be reporting soon on their version of what happened outside Pal Joey’s and inside the courtroom. Stay tuned. Read More »
By esther
June 5, 2008 – 4:20 am
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Posted in News
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Thanks to everyone who helped organize the WMCIWR (Western Massachusetts Coalition for Immigrant & Worker Rights) rally on May Day and to everyone who attended! Check out the WMCIWR blog for an assessment of the event.
By akahn
May 12, 2008 – 2:07 pm
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Posted in Event
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Immigrant Rights are Human Rights. Injustice to One is Injustice to All.
Join Copwatch at the May Day Rally on Amherst North Commons
12-2pm on May 1st, 2008
Download a PDF of the flier
Co-sponsored by Artists for Justice, SAGE, Western MA Jobs with Justice, Western MA AFSC, Greensboro Justice Fund, Western MA Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice, and Western MA Copwatch
For more information, email wmciwr@gmail.com.
Brothers & Sisters Gonna Work It Out: Sexual Politics And Hip-Hop Feminism,
“What It Look Like”: Race, Class & Hip-Hop,
Marketing A Revolution?: Hip-Hop Culture, Media Influence & You!
Sounds good? Then check out this weekend’s Triggering Change: Hip Hop, Media Justice and Social Responsibility Conference at the Isenberg School of Management at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Click here to see the full conference schedule.
After the conference on Saturday, head to Hampshire College to see Dead Prez and Rebel Diaz perform.
By akahn
April 24, 2008 – 4:51 pm
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Posted in Event
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The Republican has reported on numerous street sweeps of prostitutes in both Holyoke and Springfield. Police policy refers to this as part of “quality of life” initiatives, that often results in more aggressive use of force.
(view recent articles here, here, here, and here).
These policies are enacted presumably to improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods of Holyoke and Springfield. However, it is apparent that they do little but fill the jails.
All women, particularly poor, lesbian, queer, trans, and non-white women, should not live with police abuse. Any woman who finds herself out on the streets could easily become a target for prostitution crime by the police. This is why it is critical that we work for safe and empowered communities. Therefore, as an organization, we are dedicated to the safety of women from all violence, especially from the violence that originates from the police and prison systems.
Do you feel that you have been unfairly targeted by the police? If so, please contact us.
Claire Gordon, in yesterday’s Yale Daily News, gives the rundown of some problems with the U.S. prison system. Not only does the United States imprison a higher percentage of its people than any other nation in the world, the system is hugely burdensome to taxpayers and disproportionately punishes people of color. As Gordon puts it, “Prisoners may have broken the law, but our prisons, as they exist right now, are committing crimes against humanity.” Read more about these and other issues: Prisons commit greater crimes than inmates.
On December 18, three off-duty Holyoke Police Department officers beat up Christopher Martinez, a Holyoke resident, outside of Pal Joey’s, a bar on Route 5. At a pre-trial conference this week, the date for the cops’ (the two who are being tried) trial was set: May 27, 2008, in Palmer District Court. Until then, the officers continue their suspension with pay.
We will attend this trial, and hope to see as many Christopher Martinez supporters there as possible!
News coverage from The Republican.
By akahn
March 27, 2008 – 9:02 am
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The Springfield Police Department is looking into rolling out a program to install 50 video cameras Downtown, along with four microphones that can pick up the sound of gunshots. This program also plans to install video cameras in police cruisers, both to scan license plates in search of stolen cars, and to record police officers on the job. Although the Springfield Police Supervisors Association and Local 364 of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers has been resistant to new technology, recording police officers on the job could do a lot to prevent police misconduct. From The Republican:
As for video cameras, critics over the years said failure to install video cameras in cruisers showed a lack of accountability. The cameras record officers interacting with drivers at traffic stops and making arrests, and supporters say the devices also can protect officers from false charges of brutality. The U.S. Department of Justice in 1999 urged that cameras be installed in cruisers here to improve the department’s credibility with blacks and Hispanics.
Credibility is something the department could use. But in this plan, cameras in police cruisers would come as part of a package of civilian surveillance all over the city, and at great monetary expense to taxpayers. Is police accountability worth the price tag?
By akahn
February 29, 2008 – 9:48 am
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Posted in News
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A recently published series of articles in ColorLines discusses research on race, crime, and police brutality. Relevant to our work in Springfield and Holyoke, this research says that nationally, the number of Latinos killed by the police is on the rise. Focusing on the ten largest U.S. cities, these articles show that police brutality is a problem for any metropolitan area. Click below to read the series.
ColorLines: Killed by the Cops
Have you been harassed or beaten by the cops? Contact us and tell us what’s going on. Copwatch is collecting and publishing people’s stories of police harassment and brutality. Police abuse in our communities is widespread. By sharing our stories, we realize that none of us must suffer alone. We believe the struggle against police brutality is a struggle against racism.
Contact us by phone: (413) 559-8823, or by email: info@westernmasscopwatch.net
You can help
Help us collect stories by downloading our flyer, making copies and putting them up in your neighborhood. Click here to download the flyer (English and Spanish, PDF, 66 KB). Check out our resources page to download our other literature in PDF format.