After the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City, the New York Civil Liberties Union compiled an extensive report on police abuses of First Amendment rights. ACLU officials have forwarded the document to the St. Paul Police Department. “I’m hoping, certainly, that they’ll learn from the problems that happened in New York,” the ACLU’s Teresa Nelson told the Village Voice.

Titled “Rights and Wrongs at the RNC” [pdf] the report outlined 12 recommendations intended to fix problems with the New York Police Department’s treatment of protesters listed in the NYCLU report.

The report recommends that police:

  • Adopt new procedures and institute new training to avert unlawful mass arrests.

  • Not hold for arraignment people charged with minor offenses.

  • Release people held for arraignment within 24 hours.

  • Stop fingerprinting political protesters charged with minor offenses.

  • Curtail its videotaping of lawful protest activity.

  • Make sure that plastic handcuffs are used appropriately.

  • Develop better procedures for processing arrested demonstrators.

  • Plan better in choosing holding facilities and ensure that special holding facilities are reasonably clean, with adequate seating and sanitation.

  • Open demonstrator holding facilities to public inspection.

  • Assure that those with medical needs are treated appropriately.

  • Respect the property of demonstrators.

  • Establish an authority independent of the police department to participate in the planning and management of large demonstrations.