Mayor Addonizio’s Statement on a Police Review Board for Newark (Sept 15, 1965)-ilovepdf-compressed

Statement presented by Mayor Addonizio on September 15, 1965 to address the issue of a “police review board.” Addonizio made this announcement after the Newark Human Rights Commission held, on his orders, a series of four public hearings on the topic in July and August. The members of the Commission split 6-6 in their vote on the issue and Mayor Addonizio rejected the proposed board about a week later. Instead of a review board, Addonizio announced that all future allegations of police brutality would be forwarded to the FBI. In addition, the Mayor instituted a citizen observer program, a Human Relations Training Institute, a community-relations post within the police department, and a code of conduct for the police that outlawed using derogatory words toward citizens. — Credit: NJ State Archives