In 2009, violence against the homeless was at an all time high, with reports of injuries, vandalism of property, and 43 deaths among homeless persons across the nation. The stressful experiences of becoming homeless and then being victimized create extremely high levels of trauma, leading to elevated rates of mental illness among homeless individuals. These [...]
Simon Glik, a lawyer, was walking down Tremont Street in Boston when he saw three police officers struggling to extract a plastic bag from a teenager’s mouth. Thinking their force seemed excessive for a drug arrest, Glik pulled out his cellphone and began recording. Within minutes, Glik said, he was in handcuffs. The charge was illegal electronic surveillance. Police charged Glik [...]
Undercover police in Great Britian are running a network of hundreds of informants inside protest organizations who secretly feed them intelligence in return for cash. The dramatic disclosures are revealed in almost three hours of secretly recorded discussions between covert officers claiming to be from Strathclydepolice, and an activist from the protest group Plane Stupid.Matilda Gifford, 24, [...]
For the past 8 months, the Kenyan government has carried out a brutal campaign of violence against indigenous Samburu People in north-central Kenya, using their own police and military forces as well as government-funded mercenaries from Somalia. The most infamous attack took place in April, when military forces sprayed a caustic chemical onto group of [...]
A black woman named Heather Ellis is looking at 15 years in prison for cutting in line at a Wal-Mart store. Ellis, who is a teacher and has been described as respectable, joined her cousin in a check-out line that was moving faster than the line she was previously in. After Ellis joined this line, [...]
On June 5, 2009 World Environment Day, Peruvian Amazon Indians were massacred by the government of Alan Garcia in the latest chapter of a long war to take over common lands—a war unleashed by the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Peru and the United States. Three MI-17 helicopters took off from the [...]
The Discovery Channel is spreading dangerous myths and racial stereotypes using sensationalized police footage to depict crimes of poverty. A recent show aired on The Discovery Channel, titled, “Gang Wars: Oakland,” provides sensationalized misinformation on the minority community in Oakland. The show contained brutal action scenes of Oakland Police Officers raiding houses, chasing down gang [...]
Student Researchers: Christopher Jerome & Sarah Johnson Faculty Instructor: Christina Knopf, Ph.D. Evaluator: Dr. Brian Snee, Professor of Communication, SUNY Albany Gun battles between suspected robbers and the Lagos police have resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 suspects in a mere 10 months. In addition to the casualties, 417 robbery suspects were arrested, 1,040 [...]
Student Researcher: Andrea McCarthy Faculty Instructor: Christina M. Knopf, Ph.D. Evaluator: Ryan McCarthy, Peace Corp member 2006-2008 Ghana military is not placed at polling stations to intimidate or persuade voters, but to help support Ghana police. Countries in Africa have had multiple problems with their elections being corrupt or crooked. While it may be intimidating [...]
Student Researcher: Rachel Jenack Faculty Instructor: Christina Knopf, Ph.D. Evaluator: Dr. John Schwaller, President, SUNY Potsdam Over 200 men and women in Atenco, Mexico were arrested, and two young boys killed, in May of 2006 for resisting the police force that attempted to shut down flower vendors. Citizens that supported the flower vendors of Atenco [...]
