[These are notes from one of the break out groups at the January 9th, 2012 Occupy Sonoma County Town Hall meeting in Sebastopol. You are welcome to reply publicly or contact a group representative by emailing the contact listing below rather than Reply Privately. Thanks! -Barry]

TOPIC: THE POLICE
CONVENER: CHANCE MASSARO
CONTACT INFO: AS ABOVE AND [email protected]

In attendance: Ralph, David, John, Linda, John Chaney, Kim, Mary, Judy, Linda, Jean and Chance

Each person contributed a statement

Police are shooting the mentally ill.
I need the police to protect my right to free speech.
Police are the tools of the monied 1%.
Police are a strange bunch (distracted from duty by feelings of power).
Police should be fully armed and trained.
Drug war was the start of a militarized police force.
Military overstock goes to police departments.
Police often over react.
North America is totally militarized.
Tear gas is used indiscriminately; pepper spray is just pepper.
Weapons have their place; if the police do what they are trained to do we should support them.
I have been stopped many timed because my car needs painting.
The police are fundraisers; tiny issues are blown up to incur giant fines.
What are other countries doing; are there good models out there for how the police SHOULD act?
I’m concerned that the police are out of control.
I have first hand experience with the Sonoma county sheriff; I was handcuffed and beaten in a mistaken identity incident.
Sebastopol police are models; they should give training classes to Sonoma County Sheriff.
I’m very sad; the police force is just people, they are supposed to protect us and be more responsible than the rest of us.