This report was written by Allyson Collins, senior researcher on the United States. It was edited by Cynthia Brown, program director, and legal review was provided by Dinah PoKempner, deputy general counsel. Kenneth Roth, Wilder Tayler, and Michael McClintock reviewed portions of the manuscript. Extensive research and production assistance were provided by Robby Peckerar; Sahr MuhammedAlly also provided research assistance. Production assistance was also provided by Patrick Minges.

Several experts on police abuse reviewed and commented on the text. We are particularly grateful to Prof. Paul Chevigny of New York University School of Law. Others who provided valuable comments include Prof. Samuel Walker, Department of Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska; Thomas R. Parker (retired F.B.I. special agent) of Human Rights Watch's California Committee; Paul Hoffman, attorney, Bostwick and Hoffman; Prof. James J. Fyfe, Department of Criminal Justice, Temple University; G. Flint Taylor, attorney, People's Law Office; Mary Howell, attorney, Howell and Snead; John Crew, director, Police Practices Project of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California; and Portland Copwatch. We also would like to thank David Burnham and Sue Long of the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse of Syracuse, New York, for providing data and analysis regarding federal criminal civil rights prosecutions.

We wish to thank the scores of individuals we have interviewed in preparing this report, including community activists, police abuse experts, attorneys representing alleged victims of abuse, local politicians, journalists, civilian review agency personnel, police officers and officials at all levels, local and federal prosecutors, and Justice Department officials.

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