OCCUPY GANG POLICE! END THE POLICE STATE!

EDIT: Here are some petitions you can sign immediately:
MISSOURI STATE LAW REQUIRING ALL POLICE TO WEAR AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDERS WHEN ON DUTY
Petition by Rachael Cailliach
To be delivered to The Missouri State House, The Missouri State Senate, and Governor Jay Nixon
In the State of Missouri require all uniformed police to wear functioning audio and video recording devices when on duty.

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/amendment-to-the-missouri

Make All Missouri Law Enforcement Officers Wear Cameras
Petition by Eric Person
To be delivered to The Missouri State House, The Missouri State Senate, and Governor Jay Nixon
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/make-all-missouri-law?mailing_id=24621&source=s.em.cr&amp%3Br_by=11089267&nbsp%3B=&r_by=11089267


WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Mike Brown Law. Requires all state, county, and local police to wear a camera.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/mike-brown-law-requires-all-state-county-and-local-police-wear-camera/8tlS5czf

Appoint a Special Prosecutor to Investigate the Murder of Michael Brown
Petition by Jamilah Nasheed
To be delivered to Robert P. McCulloch, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/appoint-a-special-prosecutor?source=s.em.cr&mailing_id=24621&amp%3Br_by=11089267&nbsp%3B=&r_by=11089267&amp%3Bamp%3Br_by=11088158&amp%3Bsource=s.icn.em.cr

End Milltarization of Police
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/423/349/851/?z00m=21401890

Here are some important articles about what is happening in the events surrounding the Brown case and protests.  Please read!  Remember, IDEAS ARE BULLETPROOF:

http://www.occupy.com/article/could-civil-rights-movement-have-happened-todays-militarized-police-state

http://rt.com/usa/181204-teens-mobile-app-police-abuse/

http://theantimedia.org/constitutional-rights-essentially-suspended-in-ferguson-as-police-raid-homes-door-to-door/

TIME TO END THE “POLICE STATE”!!!

Their is a violent and dangerous gang terrorizing poor and “minority” communities. Michael Brown is just the most recent fatality. This gang is armed with guns and billy clubs. They have the right to detain citizens and to seize private property (“asset seizure”). That is too much power for any individual to possess without public accountability. Gang Police too often confuses enforcing the law with being the law itself. Crime has been decreasing, but police brutality has increased. Gang Police is becoming increasingly militarized.

Gang “Police” serves and protects private property to such an extent that unarmed thieves in the possession of a stolen $1 cigarillo can be shot dead. Or children walking in the street that contest an order to “Get the F**k on the sidewalk.”

We, The People, pay the salaries of Gang Police. We pay for their cars, their weapons, their jails. We pay for the lawyers and judges. The more crime a city has, the wealthier the people that work in and benefit from the legal system.

TIME FOR CHANGE. Real change. When people get angry enough they will loot and riot. Too many men have died in the street from the actions of this gang. Looting is not the answer, but it is the only reason this case is getting national attention. Without the riot, there would not be an FBI investigation. Al Sharpton would not be at the Old Courthouse. Looting is not the answer, but it is the only threat that Gang Police and their Overlords take seriously. They are a violent Gang, and the only respond to violence and upheaval.

What we really need, though, is to become angry enough to demand real change, and to continue working for it after the fires have been put out, the protest marches and press conferences have ended, and the investigations are over. Something good can come of this tragedy, if We, The People demand it, and keep demanding it, long after our tempers have cooled.

WE, THE PEOPLE, MUST BEGIN TO “POLICE THE POLICE”! They have the power to monitor us, to investigate us, and we must demand the right to monitor and investigate them! We have the right to full accountability for everything that they do! We must demand complete police transparency!

1) We must require all police to wear helmet cameras (or special glasses with cameras) at all times. Not dashboard cameras. Not just recording traffic stops and dispatch responses, their entire shift must be recorded. We are paying their salaries. We have the right to know what and how they are doing their jobs.

2) Photographs, bio's, and badge numbers must be posted on Police Department websites, along with regularly update schedules. We should be able to go to the Ferguson P.D. website and look up exactly who was on duty when Michael Brown was shot. The department should not be able to hide this Gang member behind the fear of death threats. Gang Police poses a potential death threat for every citizen they encounter. Maybe if the Gang Police Member (“officer”) that shot Michael Brown had known that his picture and name was posted for all citizens to see, he would have behaved differently. Maybe Michael Brown would be at college instead of the morgue.

3) Every citizen should have the right to have a civilian witness present at ANY interaction with a Gang Police member. Every community should have paid Legal Observers standing by at all times.

4) Police should be required to hold “meet and greets” at least once a month, along with Town Hall type meetings for people make suggestions, air grievances, and give feedback on officer's performances in their communities.

Occupy Public Transportation in St. Louis (OPTINSTL) is researching how to create a petition for the above demands, but we can start by calling or writing all of our local representatives and police departments and demanding the changes listed above. And anyone can start a petition. We need a lot of petitions and signatures to make our voices heard and get the changes we need. Two sites OPTINSTL has found:

http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/pubs/makeyourvoiceheard/MakingYourVoiceHeard.pdf

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/

Please print and share this leaflet if you agree. OPTINSTL@GMAIL.COM optinstl.blogspot.com

ACTIONS TO TAKE TO CHANGE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN SAINT LOUIS

JAM THEIR PHONE LINES!

If you have the cell phone minutes, call Metro every chance you get.  Complain, make suggestions about improvements and routes.  Ask them to explain how they spend their money, where it comes from, how they make decisions.

(In the sidebar of this blog is a list of questions I have about their service. In the text box OCCUPY METRO EVERY TIME YOU RIDE. **)

PETITIONS!

For Bathrooms:
Yesterday and today I talked to two different people that suggested petitions.  One was a woman that wanted to petition for more bathrooms.  She suggested riding the trains and asking everyone that needed to go to the bathroom at that moment to sign the petition.

I think sign and survey: how long do you ride? how long do you have to go without facilities? have you every had to get off the bus or train to go? Do you have a medical condition?

I talked to a woman today that has diabetes and said the buses are torture for her because of her bathroom needs.  Another man told me that he saw a woman with a little girl that needed to go the bathroom really bad.  She tried to appeal to the Metrolink security to let her little girl use the bus driver's bathroom, but he wouldn't allow it.  The little girl went behind the building.  What else was she gonna do?

For Bus Service:
Another woman told me about how 12 years ago the residents of Riverview Gardens successfully petitioned to get the #61 bus.  There used to only be a bus The Riverview Express.  It only ran a few hours and not too many stops.

She said they really had to work hard, though.  And a lot of people had to go to the meetings-- the inconvenient monthly public meetings for addressing rider issues.

Here is the link for the monthly meetings.  Really informative-- where are they, when do they start, when do they end?  No information at all, other than dates.  Of course, it is obvious they really don't want to hear from us.

http://www.metrostlouis.org/BusinessCommunity/PublicMeetings/MetroAccessAdvisoryGroupMeetings.aspx

I will find out when and where these meeting are, but calling them to ask is another way to JAM THE PHONE LINES!

I will also be looking into starting petitions- what it requires, how to file it, and so on.  Keep checking back for more.  Or if you know how, please email optinstl@gmail.com

ABOUT MEETINGS

The Board meetings are even more inconvenient, but attending these in large numbers, even if no one spoke, would carry "weight in numbers".  Because John Nations (the CEO of Metro that the bus is "too inconvenient for", because his time is SO IMPORTANT) is at these meetings.  We need to make him look in our eyes when his agency lies to us about the "great service" it provides.

These meeting are really inconvenient too- 8 AM tomorrow is the next one.

http://www.metrostlouis.org/BoardNotices/noticeboardmeetingopensession032814.pdf

**

OCCUPY! EVERY TIME YOU RIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT

WHILE YOU ARE RIDING OR WAITING FOR THE BUS, GET IN TOUCH WITH METRO ABOUT YOUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS!
Call or email, if you have the cell phone service, or write a letter to snail mail to Metro/Bi-State about problems with services- including route, schedules, bus stops, etc.

http://www.metrostlouis.org/CustomerSupport/ReachCustomerSupport.aspx



**Ask questions and demand accountability! WE DESERVE DECENT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!

Why don't bus drivers sell day passes the same way they sell two hour transfer tickets (with the $7.50 being paid to the new fare boxes)?
Why aren't 30 day and 7 day passes sold at bus transfer centers? (A monthly or weekly pass is not the same as a 30 day or 7 day pass.)
How are routes, schedules, and fares determined?
When are rider surveys conducted?
How often does the average rider use the bus or train?
How long is the average Metro trip?
How many transfers on the average trip?
How much "wait time" between buses/trains on the average trip?
What fare does the average rider pay, and how?
What is the average rider's income?
What areas use the buses the most?
Who determines where bus stops are placed and who maintains them?
Why don't bus stops have route and schedule information?
Why are so few bus stops covered or provided with trash cans?
Why are there no bathroom at bus and metrolink stations?
Why are the telephone information centers open only 45 hours a week, weekdays, between 7:30 AM and 4:30 PM?
What portion of Metro's budget goes to buses and trains, and what funds go to Downtown St. Louis Airport and the Arch trams and Arch Riverboats?
What portion of Metro employees use public transportation?

WHY IS NORTH SAINT LOUIS SO UNDER-SERVED BY METROLINK TRAIN AND BUS TRANSFER CENTERS?

And most importantly:
WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MISERABLE SERVICE THIS AGENCY PROVIDES?
WHAT PERSON OR AGENCY CAN THE PUBLIC APPEAL TO FOR REAL CHANGE?