SJPJC Statement regarding harassment by San Jose Police   

The San Jose Peace & Justice Center is deeply concerned about the actions of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association in regard to their targeting of activist Raj Jayadev for his public testimony offered at the San Jose City Council meeting on May 5, 2009.  We are shocked to note the arrogance and hostility of the comments inserted into the video of Mr. Jayadev’s testimony (see http://www.youtube.com/user/SanJosePOA ), and fear for the safety of this young activist of color as we do for the members of the community at large who are at the mercy of an armed and dangerous police force. 

We are puzzled at this belligerent response to an established mechanism of democracy such as Public Comment. Is the SJPD not aware that in a Democracy, members of the public are fully empowered to question abuse of power by the police?  Or does the SJPD not realize that as public servants, they are in fact always accountable to the public?  In this connection, we’d also like to note Mr. George Beattie’s shocking statements on the website of the SJPOA where he equates public dissent to issuing threats against the SJPD.

We would also like to note that this action by the SJPOA raises important questions about the integrity of the very process by which members of the public are supposed to hold public servants accountable. It seems to us that this video is meant to intimidate, and serve as an example of retribution by the SJPOA, should any individual dare to question the actions of the police. This is hardly conducive to public debate, to say the least, and deserves to be condemned in the strongest terms by all who believe in the role of debate in a Democracy.

We also note with regret that this action by the SJPOA will lead to a further erosion of trust between the people of San Jose and the SJPD, in a context where so many questions are already being raised about SJPD’s abuse of power.  Reactions such as this video also lend further credence to allegations that have been made by members of the African-American, Filipino, Latino, and Vietnamese communities, and many other residents of San Jose about the SJPD's racist and discriminatory behavior. That the video in question has been put on public display by the SJPOA via YouTube, an internet portal through which the video can be circulated to a world wide audience, and in perpetuity, seems to indicate that these attitudes are not the actions of an isolated few, but in fact represent widely shared attitudes amongst the members of the SJPOA, surely a cause for concern.

Given the above,

We demand:  

• an immediate apology from the SJPOA to Raj Jayadev and to the people of San Jose, followed by a detailed explanation by the SJPOA as to the circumstances under which the video was produced and circulated.
• an immediate clarification from City Council members Pete Constant and Ash Kalra, whose comments have been used by the SJPOA in the video, disassociating themselves from the video and the actions of the SJPOA. 

• to issue an official motion of Censure against the SJPOA
• to strengthen institutions of police accountability, and facilitate public participation in  these initiatives without fear of reprisal by the police
• to pursue all means to ensure the safety of Raj Jayadev and members of minority communities who are all too often victims of a racist and hostile police force.

Note: Click here to read a report about the City Council meeting where this statement was read.