Archive

The State Senate just voted to pass AB 2466, a bill that would expand voting rights in California to people caught up in the criminal justice system. The law, if signed by the governor, will clarify who can and cannot vote with a criminal conviction in California. Read More

A bill to limit civil asset forfeiture abuses was approved today by the California Assembly. The bill will return to the Senate for a concurrence vote. SB 443 provides individuals with stronger property rights protections by requiring a conviction in most state civil asset forfeiture cases. Read More

A state audit finding that the CalGang database is plagued by inaccuracies and weak oversight provides further evidence of the long-held position of the ACLU of California that the controversial intelligence-gathering system violates individuals’ rights to privacy and fair treatment. Read More

Every year on the first Tuesday of August, the National Association of Neighborhood Watch sponsors a “National Night Out.” The tenor of these events usually reinforce the idea that neighborhood watch and police-community partnerships are the pathway to public safety.But public safety, at its best, isn’t about watching your neighbors. It’s not about expanding police departments. So far in... Read More

Despite overwhelming proof that our system of law enforcement is inherently unequal, we’ve nevertheless let this racist institution into our most sacred public space—the schoolhouse. Read More

Last week brought us more tragic, maddening, horrific news of Black people and Latino people being shot to death by police officers inside and outside California. Read More

We are angered and saddened by the killing of Alton Sterling by police officers. It is shameful that his death marks the 122nd killing of a Black person by U.S. law enforcement shooting this year. Read More

In a first-of-its-kind decision and a victory for police accountability and transparency, an Alameda County judge has ruled that a public agency can’t charge excessive fees for police body worn camera footage. Read More

Imagine: You pull out your phone to record police misconduct—suddenly, your camera just doesn’t work. Turns out, your phone’s camera has been disabled by an infrared emitter. Apple’s newly patented technology may make this possible. The technology places an infrared sensor in your phone that has the potential to be disabled remotely. While the technology is being promoted as a tool to prevent the ... Read More

The decision by SF Pride and the City of San Francisco to dramatically increase police presence at this year’s Pride festivities creates a dangerous situation for LGBT people of color, the exact communities the organizers are recognizing with their 2016 theme. Read More