Law Enforcement Accountability - Seeking Activists & Digital Researchers

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Volunteer your time and skills to defend communities, defend democracy, drive out darkness.

Organization Description

Open Shadows is a center for research, intelligence, and organizing against extremism, targeted violence, and authoritarian rule. We unapologetically center the leadership, experiences, and expertise of targeted communities.

Role Description

Open Shadows is looking for skilled activists, researchers, and community members to volunteer to help with a sweeping new law enforcement transparency initiative.

We’re seeking people who understand the urgency of this moment, who know that authoritarian governments often rely on law enforcement at all levels to carry out anti-democratic agendas. We’re building tools and strategies to expose and counter authoritarian abuse and extremist infiltration within law enforcement-and we need your help.

If you’re someone who wants to spend your spare time doing meaningful, high-impact work in defense of democracy, we want to hear from you. We especially encourage volunteers from communities most often targeted by law enforcement, as well as committed allies.

Join us in building something that fights back.

Volunteers can:

• Gather and organize public records
• Investigate law enforcement affiliations with extremist movements or anti-democratic activity
• Track incidents of misconduct and abuses of power
• Collaborate with a team of researchers, technologists, and organizers to strengthen community resistance to law enforcement abuse

We’re looking for volunteers with a wide range of skills. You might be:

• A digital sleuth with a knack for tracking down hard-to-find information
• Familiar with OSINT (open-source intelligence) tools, tactics, and tradecraft
• Comfortable navigating the alt-web, including fringe platforms and forums
• Knowledgeable about right-wing extremism, white nationalist movements, or authoritarian threats-especially within law enforcement
• A student of law, public policy, journalism, tech, or a related field looking to apply your skills in a real-world social impact context

Whether you’re an experienced social justice movement volunteer or just getting started, there’s a place for you here. Join us.

To apply: Fill out our "Get Involved" form. Mention "LE Volunteering" or "Law Enforcement Accountability". All volunteers are vetted. https://www.openshadows.org/get-involved

Learn more about us at: www.openshadows.org

[US-based volunteers only at this time. Thank you for your patience as we work to develop our policies.]