<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small"><div class="gmail_default"><font face="georgia, serif" size="4">Dear ACLU Members and Friends,</font></div><div class="gmail_default"><br></div><div class="gmail_default"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif">The Urbana Police Department has adopted a new Use of Force Policy that prioritizes de-escalation and requires any use of force to be </span><span style="font-size:18px;font-family:Georgia,serif">objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional. The revised policy will be presented to the City Council at the meeting Monday night, August 23rd at 7 pm. You can read it here: </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:18px;font-family:Georgia,serif"><a href="https://www.urbanaillinois.us/sites/default/files/attachments/memo_and_Policy_Use%20of%20force.pdf" target="_blank">Revised Use of Force Policy</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif">Mayor Marlin, Chief Seraphin, and city staff deserve credit for creating a pathway for members of the Urbana community – including the ACLU of Champaign County, represented by Carol Spindel – to participate in thoughtful discussions around revising the policy. We were pleased to work in partnership with </span><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:18px">President Minnie Pearson</span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif"> and our community partners at the NAACP-CC Branch, and other community representatives.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif">ACLU of Champaign County is committed to working for a more equitable and effective approach to public safety in Urbana. This policy is a first step -- an important first step. Like any policy, it requires </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)">meaningful implementation and enforcement so the public can be assured that all officers are held accountable for their actions on the streets of </span><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Urbana. We call on our elected representatives, the Mayor and City Council, to continue their important oversight role.</span><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(34,34,34)"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;font-size:13.5pt;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Our local chapter of activists relies on the support of our "mother organization," the ACLU of Illinois, and we especially want to thank </span><span style="font-size:18.66666603088379px;color:rgb(34,34,34)"><font face="georgia, serif">Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs Director</font></span><span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-size:13.5pt"> Khadine Bennett for her essential help as we navigated the complexities of policing policy, which were made even more complicated by changes in the state level statutes being enacted as we worked.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)">The Urbana City Council has mandated that the Use of Force Policy will be updated at least every five years and can be updated more frequently based on community concerns. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)">With thanks for your support for the ACLU of Champaign County,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Carol Leff</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)">President</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)">and</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Carol Spindel</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)">Director of Communications</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Georgia,serif;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><a href="http://www.aclu-cu.org" target="_blank">www.aclu-cu.org</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;font-size:medium;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="mailto:info@aclu-cu.org">info@aclu-cu.org</a></p><img src="cid:ii_kskn2wi50" alt="ACLU-CU-LOGO copy.jpg" width="490" height="232" class="gmail-CToWUd gmail-a6T" tabindex="0" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;"><br><p></p><br class="gmail-Apple-interchange-newline"></div></div></div>