VOICES for Opportunity, Income, Childcare, Education, and Support

Press Statement May 29,2009

For Immediate Release

Media contact: Agnes Broncheau 362-2700

VOICES SUPPORTS REAL POLICE OVERSIGHT AND COMMUNITY INPUT

VOICES stands with PJALS, SHAWL Society, NAACP and NAMI, and others in the Spokane community speaking out for positive change. We are a grassroots organization made up of low-income people and others who care about issues of equality and social and economic justice. We represent the under-represented, the voices of the low-income people and working poor in Spokane. VOICES and the people of Spokane are not strangers to powerlessness in a system that makes decisions without our input. We fight everyday for our voices to be heard in the policy-making processes that affect our lives.

The Spokane community has a chance to make real change, enact real reform and provide real protection to its citizens. VOICES stands in opposition to the very real problem of misconduct and abuse by our city’s police officers. We oppose the current Ombudsman position because it does not provide real protection or accountability for the citizens of Spokane. We support a renegotiation of the contract for the Ombudsman position.  The new contract must provide the Ombudsman with the power to conduct independent investigations and sanction the officers who step over the line of good police conduct.

VOICES also supports public participation in the process. Our diverse community must be represented in the creation of a real solution. We believe that compassionate conversation, and clear communication can bring about healing and solutions if everyone is given a chance to speak. We hope the City of Spokane and the Police Guild invite representatives of the community to provide input and guidance as they make these very important decisions that affect us all.

VOICES mission is to strengthen individual voices for opportunity, income, childcare, education, support and other low-income issues in our community. We strongly believe that it is necessary for low-income people to actively become part of the solutions to poverty. Our collective voice creates positive change.

VOICES is a grassroots, membership-driven organization made up of low income people and others who care about the issues that affect people needing social services, including the working poor.

VOICES’ members learn to advocate for themselves and others. They become politically active in our communities, speaking to policy makers on the city, state, and national levels about issues that concern them. Some go on to serve on local and statewide non-profit advisory boards.

VOICES is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.

1428 W. Broadway Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201

(509) 326-4135 voicesspokane.org

“No decision about us, without us.”

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