In a Brooklyn precinct where whispers once moved through hallways, Lt. Edwin Raymond recorded his performance evaluation, capturing evidence of what he calls “quota policing” that disproportionately affects communities of color. The audio became a key element in an ongoing class-action lawsuit against the New York Police Department.
Raymond is among a growing coalition of current and former law enforcement professionals sharing their experiences through Strategies for Justice, an organization using personal narratives to drive reform within policing from the inside out.
“I mean the very top: commissioners, deputy commissioners, and even the mayor’s office,” Raymond says about the source of quota directives that he claims violate a 2010 labor law prohibiting evaluation of officers based on arrest numbers.
Founded in 2019 by Terry Watson, Strategies for Justice (SFJ) emerged from his earlier work presenting the historical narrative of his ancestors Moses P. Cobb and Samuel J. Battle, who broke racial barriers in the New York Police Department in 1892 and 1921 respectively. Their experiences became the foundation for training and dialogue around inequities in law enforcement.
“I, too, believe it is a responsibility, not an option, to seek strategies for justice,” says Watson, who also has an extensive history in disability advocacy in education. “If my journey has taught me anything, it is that we must continue to engage and try to learn from the stories we collect.”
The organization recruits active and former officers willing to share their experiences at the intersection of race, ability, gender, and law enforcement. These narratives come from individuals who have had a progressive impact on identifying and eliminating injustices within the system.
One such advocate is Cariol Horne, who served Buffalo, New York, as a police officer for twenty years before being fired after stopping a fellow officer from choking a handcuffed African-American man during an arrest. Her story led to the passage of Cariol’s Law in Buffalo, which requires mandatory police intervention when witnessing misconduct, with protection from retaliation.
SFJ’s roster of speakers includes Corey Pegues, a retired NYPD Executive who rose to the rank of Deputy Inspector after beginning his career in 1992, and who documented his journey from a teenage drug dealer in Queens to his ascent in the department in his memoir “Once A Cop.”
The organization also features Dr. Monica Blake-Beasley, who served Nashville from 2004-2019 and became an advocate for victims’ rights after surviving a sexual assault from an off-duty police officer. Her federal lawsuit against the department was quickly settled, and her advocacy helped establish an oversight board for police accountability.
Captain Sonia Pruitt, the first African American woman to reach the rank of captain in Montgomery County PD in Maryland, now teaches Criminal Justice at Howard University and Montgomery College while serving as Founder and CEO of The Black Police Experience, an organization advancing education about law enforcement dynamics in Black communities.
Former homicide detective Ken Williams filed what he describes as “the first-ever Lincoln Law Title VI Qui Tam whistleblower civil action” against the Brockton Police Department after reporting unlawful discriminatory conduct. Now an expert witness in officer-involved shootings, Williams believes his legal action could help reform longstanding issues in law enforcement nationwide.
Through storytelling approaches, SFJ seeks to uncover injustice while providing education and advocacy. The organization aims to help communities, social justice organizations, and educational institutions work collaboratively with law enforcement to create meaningful change.
“SFJ seeks to help communities utilize the power of stories as a foundation for reform,” Watson explains. “We are a speaking and training bureau that believes unveiling untold narratives of injustice can lead to change.”
Watson has authored the multi-award-winning book “Welcome to the Sick Mind of a Sane Person: Deconstructing Racism and White Supremacy” and is working on a forthcoming book documenting law enforcement narratives titled “The Battle Continues With Moses’ People.”
As the organization looks to expand its impact nationwide, its immediate goal is to implement Cariol’s Law nationally, which creates a reportable registry and mandates external investigation with reprimanding for abuse, across the country.
