"Vallejo Cop Watch" established to protect community members

[the following was adapted from press releases issued by Vallejo Cop Watch]
2012-09-13 -
Vallejo residents form "Vallejo Cop Watch" to document actions of violent Vallejo Police Officers and other security agents, with solidarity from the Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr., National President of "The National Network in Action" civil and human rights organization [www.nationalnetworkinaction.org], who is instrumental in bringing "Cop Watch" to the City of Vallejo.
Vallejo CopWatch hosted the "BLOW THE WHISTLE! On Police Brutality and Murder, Racial Profiling, and the Pipeline Leading To Mass Incarceration" public gathering at the steps of Vallejo City Hall on High-Noon, Sept. 13th, in conjunction with a National campaign against anti-Constitutional "Stop & Frisk" practices being used by Police agencies across the USA.
Vallejo Cop Watch used the event to teach Vallejo residents how to Video, Document and take pictures of ROUGE COPS, and a training titled “Know Your Rights When Confronted by Police Officer(s)”.
The African American community and the community at large are under attack by the Vallejo Police Department and its local government. Since May of 2012 there has been 7 police officers involved shooting and 5 have been fatal.
The Vallejo Police Department history and standard method of operations is "Shoot first, ask questions later", as seen by the recent brutal murder of Mr. Mario Romero by the Vallejo Police Department early Sunday morning, whom witnesses reported that Mr. Romero never got out of his car or made threatening gestures when officers open fire shooting 30 times into the car. There were no reports of Mr. Romero having a gun or shooting at the Vallejo Police.
Vallejo Citizens has said ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The minority community and the community at large are taking a stand for JUSTICE against the ROUGE COPS of the Vallejo Police Department. Vallejo Police Department DON’T have the right to be the JUDGE, JURY AND EXECUTOR!!
Brutality and harassment are a fact of life for millions of people all across the U.S. and in Vallejo, especially poor people and Black and Latino people. It is a precious thing when people refuse to accept this, and rise up in protest and defiance against these injustices, like the people in NYC ‒ thousands strong, challenging the racial profiling of “Stop and Frisk”, the people in Vallejo, Fresno, Oakland, San Francisco and Anaheim, CA are all challenging the murders by Police of thousands of our people every year... Like the 12,000 CA prisoners who went on a hunger strike to stop torture... Like the thousands who protested the unjust execution of Troy Davis and have demanded justice in the modern-day lynching of Trayvon Martin...
... To youth and students tired of knowing every time you leave your house you might be harassed by cops…
... to parents who fear that no matter what you tell your kids about surviving an encounter with the cops it won’t be enough to keep them safe…
… to Black and Latino people or immigrants, youngsters or a little older, racially targeted for mass incarceration in the era of the “New Jim Crow”… to all the former prisoners discriminated against even after they’ve served their sentences and to all the families and loved ones of people ensnared in the criminal “injustice” system…


2012-09-14 "New Vallejo police officer oversight group to offer public training" form "Vallejo Times-Herald"
[http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_21542053/new-vallejo-police-officer-oversight-group-offer-public]:
Vallejo's recent fatal officer-involved shooting has spurred one Vallejo family to join forces with an out-of-town organization to learn to "police the police."
On Saturday, local chapter members of the national Cop Watch organization are scheduled to provide public training that will help launch a branch of the organization in Vallejo.
Rev. Floyd D. Harris Jr., president of his Fresno-based civil rights organization, National Network in Action, is assisting the efforts.
The training will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Vallejo Police Department, 111 Amador St.
"The community has said enough is enough," Harris said Thursday afternoon, joined by about 20 people, many related to Mario Romero, on the steps of Vallejo City Hall.
Harris, whose National Network in Action "works toward the upliftment of all people particularly the poor, the working class and people of color," (www.nationalnetworkinaction.org) said he was drawn to Vallejo to assist after a string of officer-involved shootings here this year, including Romero's on Sept. 2.
According to police reports, Romero got out of his parked vehicle with a replica pellet gun in his waistband and crouched behind his car door when police pulled in front of him. Front seat passenger Joe Johnson also received a single bullet wound during the fracas.
Family members inside the home at the time deny allegations that Romero had a gun or that he ever got out of the car.
For more information, call  Rev. Harris at (559) 803-0286.