Politics, Police Accountability, and Public Health: Civilian Review in Newark, New Jersey

Abstract

Police brutality, a longstanding civil rights issue, has returned to the forefront of American public debate. A growing body of public health research shows that excessive use of force by police and racial profiling have adverse effects on health for African Americans and other marginalized groups. Yet, interventions to monitor unlawful policing have been met with fierce opposition at the federal, state, and local levels. On April 30, 2015, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey signed an executive order establishing a Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) to monitor the Newark Police Department (NPD). Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examined how advocates and government actors accomplished this recent policy change in the face of police opposition and after a 50-year history of unsuccessful attempts in Newark. Drawing on official public documents, news media, and interviews conducted in April and May 2015, I propose that: (1) a Department of Justice investigation of the NPD, (2) the activist background of the Mayor and his relationships with community organizations, and (3) the momentum provided by the national Black Lives Matter movement were pivotal in overcoming political obstacles to reform. Examining the history of CCRB adoption in Newark suggests when and where advocates may intervene to promote policing reforms in other US cities.

Anticipated Negative Police-Youth Encounters and Depressive Symptoms among Pregnant African American Women: A Brief Report

“…To our knowledge, this is the first study on the potential adverse effects of negative black youth and police interactions on the mental health of black women residing in a major US metropolitan area and in the Southern region. Our findings contribute to the emerging research on police encounters in other urban areas advancing a public health perspective on negative policing while underscoring the importance of efforts to improve relations between police and the African American community [7,8,34]. It aligns with research employing larger sample sizes asking critical questions concerning negative police encounters.…”

Social Disorder in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: Building on Race, Place, and Poverty

“…Finally, the increased availability of individual-level technology (e.g., mobile phones, dashboard cameras) has increased documentation and public awareness of racially unjust policing and incarceration practices, especially in low-income minority neighborhoods [56–59]. Although few studies have directly examined the impact of neighborhood policing on health outcomes, resources are being developed to establish data sources in this field that may better inform law enforcement policies related to health.…”

“…Fourth, the daily activities of residents who live in neighborhoods with high rates of crime can be tied to policing practices. For instance, controversial policing strategies, such as “stop and frisk, ” may deter a sense of community identity and have downstream adverse consequences for collective efficacy and social order [55•, 56–59]. The idea, that the very practices thought to address social disorder (e.g., policing to counteract crime) may actually cause stress in particular contexts, underscores that various factors in our model may have counteracting effects (Fig.…”

Re-prioritizing traffic stops to reduce motor vehicle crash outcomes and racial disparities

“…When contrasted with many other public health surveillance systems, limited data on traffic stops suggest a relatively limited oversight of law enforcement activities. Public health has already acknowledged that data on deaths caused by officers are public health data that can and should be maintained (Feldman et al 2019;Krieger et al 2015), and that collecting law enforcement data in general is fundamental to accountability and trust (McGregor 2015). Data collection on traffic stops should also include some within-agency spatial component, as Fayetteville has elected to collect, such as spatial coordinates or an address or intersection that could be retroactively geocoded.…”