BLACK COPS AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY: THE BOOK

I can't remember the last time I published a book review, but what the hey. The following comes fron the web site One People's Project.

REVIEW: BLACK COPS AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY: A CRISIS ACTION PLAN
Written by Administrator One People's Project

DeLacy Davis is very well known to those who have been active fighting against police brutality, especially here in New Jersey. He just retired from the East Orange (NJ) Police Department, and during his tenure, he was a major advocate for those who wanted to make sure that those that are supposed to protect them stay on the straight and narrow themselves. He could be seen at every anti-police brutality rally up and down the East Coast, and was in Cincinnati in 2001 when Timothy Thomas was murdered by officer Steve Roach in an incident that later sparked a major uprising in the city. He has also appeared on various news and radio shows over the years. There hasn't been much talk these days about police brutality, but it is still going on, and to that end DeLacy wrote a book on how to deal with police brutality when it comes your way. Kam Williams gives us his take on the tome, and for the record, we can't wait to read it ourselves. A number of our members have worked with DeLacy in the past, and back in the day when he was reporting for City News, an African American-oriented newspaper in New Jersey, DLJ always used him as a source for various stories. We can definitely say that whatever this brother writes or says should be taken to heart.

Black Cops Against Brutality: A Crisis Action Plan
by DeLacy Davis
Introduction by Sergeant Hosia Reynolds
B-Cap Press
Paperback, $25.00
142 pages, illustrated
ISBN: 0-9745901-0-X


Book Review by Kam Williams

"Police brutality reminds me of the darkness in history when the master whipped the slaves just because he could. There can be no more blatant racism than that misuse of power by the police who have been entrusted to protect us."
-- Excerpted from Chapter One


"The Vanishing Black Male" was the #1 documentary on my annual Top Ten List for 2005. That timely and thought-provoking picture seriously examined how guns, drugs, incarceration, suicide, and a host of other societal ills have collaborated to leave African-American men on the brink of extinction. I start with this sidebar because one of the standouts of that groundbreaking film is Sgt. Delacy Davis, a recently-retired, 20-year veteran of the East Orange, NJ Police Department. Ever so eloquently, he bemoaned the breakdown of the black family while delineating the efforts of Black Cops Against Police Brutality (B-CAP), to support single-moms and
their kids in an effective manner. But he originally founded that organization in order to prevent police misconduct and abuse of power, and to stem the rising tide of violence in the 'hood through the implementation of some innovative techniques and programs. Davis, who has a master's degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson and a Bachelor's in English from Drew University, has found himself to be quite in demand around the country, as of late, as a motivational speaker on this subject.

Fortunately, he has just published Black Cops Against Brutality: A Crisis Action Plan, a long overdue, logical extension of his dedication and commitment to the community. The book is basically a police encounter survival guide, for besides relating a litany of case histories by folks from all walks of life who fell victim to overzealous law enforcement, it offers plenty of practical advice on how to handle the situation, if you are unlucky enough to get detained by a cop for whatever reason. Obviously, as a veteran officer, he has sage advice to share, such as to remain calm, roll down your car window, turn on the ceiling light and keep
both hands on the wheel during a motor vehicle stop. He also lets you know how to handle the situation when the authorities arrive at your door, whether with or without a warrant, or if they simply begin questioning you right on the street.

Of equal import is how Delacy addresses what to do when you've become the victim of a profile stop, an unlawful arrest or an unfair search and seizure. Here, he delineates each step of the subsequent civilian complaint process, from keeping a log sheet, to finding an attorney, filing charges, and contacting the press and your political representatives. Finally, because the author sees the issue as a nationwide crisis, he closes this priceless opus by stressing the need to develop both the leadership and the strategies necessary for eradicating police brutality once and for all. Overall, Black Cops Against Brutality is readily recommended as a legally-sound, morally-upright and most practical guide by a brother who breaks the blue wall of silence to help hip the people about how to deal with the criminal justice system most effectively.