During this year's Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival, one of the many respected panel discussions was the "Law Enforcement Whistleblowers" Panel. During attendance, one of the Lamplighter Project's Board Members received an opportunity to speak on the project and forward efforts towards much-needed national reform.
While Congress is closing in on landmark legislation to control police abuses, so far the proposals all have skipped what is essential for the reforms to make a difference: whistleblower protection. Without safe channels to bear witness, the new reforms may be an illusion. State reforms are also taking place, some of which represent the most sweeping law enforcement reforms in the last 50 years. This dynamic panel explores law enforcement reforms from a whistleblower, public health and safety, mental health, and civil rights perspectives. Panelists will include whistleblowers, activists and advocates with particularly compelling stories.
Panelists:
Michael McCray, ACORN 8 (Moderator)
John Hanlon, Former Director, Innocence Project (Illinois)
Dr. Anthony Williams
Reverend Lynn R. Mims
Dr. Ben Williams, Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Cobb County)
Matthew Fogg, Retired Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal
Speaker/Contributors:
Austin Handle, Lamplighter Project (Vice-Chair)
Tom Devine, Government Accountability Project (Legal Director)
The Mission of the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival is to build community and mutual support among whistleblowers and their advocates, connect whistleblowing “free speech” to the first amendment, social justice activism, and the global civil and human rights movements, and celebrate whistleblowers and their significant contributions to culture, society and the world.