2023 Civics Edition
April 18, 2023
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A View From the Ground
News and information about politics, government, civic participation and engagement from URL Media's network of Black and Brown publishers.
Introducing the Digidog, one of NYPD’s new shiny tools. Credit: Boston Dynamics
🤖 The premise behind NYPD's new robot cops: A bright yellow remote-controlled robot. A program that allows cops to fire GPS trackers from a device. More security measures. These are just some of the tools and systems name checked by the NYPD at a recent press conference in Times Square. This decision to roll out robot cops comes after an unsuccessful launch two years ago that resulted in intense backlash from policy makers and advocates, reports Epicenter-NYC. During the press conference, NYPD Chief Jeffrey Maddrey said, “We believe that this Digidog will help save lives, increase public safety, people who are suspects in crime, people suffering from mental health crisis, it will help them and help us provide better service." However, critics are skeptical about whether the tool can actually fulfill this promise. Read more thoughts here.
🗳️ Lawmaker’s decision to change parties puts N.C. immigrants at risk: Earlier this month, legislator Tricia Cotham of North Carolina announced that she has changed political parties following last November's general election. The decision to switch parties just three months into her term has received widespread attention in the media and skepticism among former party members. La Noticia reports that the former Democrat's decision is "suspiciously well-timed" and causes an imbalance of power in the state that puts immigrants at risk. Read the full story.
📋 Pa. Rep. Amen Brown’s mayoral campaign and calling the National Guard: Pennsylvania State Representative Amen Brown (D), who represents the 10th District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, is running for mayor of Philadelphia. In an interview with Solomon Jones on Wake Up With WURD, Brown spoke about his plan to provide safety and access to opportunities for all Philadelphians, namely disadvantaged youth. This year’s mayoral election will be held on November 7. Listen to the full episode.
🏍️ UNICEF gives Haitian police motorcycles to protect schoolchildren: UNICEF has donated 30 motorcycles to a local police unit tasked with protecting students from gang violence near schools in Haiti, reports The Haitian Times. “The four million Haitian students need a serene climate for learning to be effective,” said Minister of National Education Nesmy Manigat at the ceremony. Currently, families and educators around the country fear for their children and students well-being. Read more about the work the police unit has been doing since 2015.
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