a proposal to grow a respected citizen’s police review commission

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  • 7/29/2019 A Proposal To Grow A Respected Citizens Police Review Commission

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    ThePoliceProfessionalismandAccountabilityCoordinatingCommittee

    August26,2013

    AProposalToGrowARespectedCitizensPoliceReviewCommission

    Powercorrupts;AbsolutePowerCorruptsAbsolutely

    WithintheGreensboroPoliceDepartmenttherehasbeentoomuchpowerconcentratedintoofewhands,withtoolittleindependentoversightforfartoolong.Thissituationhasimpactedpoorcommunitiesand

    communitiesofcolorindisperpornateways.Itshouldnotcomeasasurprisethatthosepartsofthe

    communitymostnegativelyimpactedhaveraisedtheirvoicestheloudest.

    Greensboroshouldnotgoonyearafteryearwithlaw-suitspilingup,withembitteringandembarrassing

    incidentsasintheBennettCollegeepisodeandwithhundredsofcasesnotbroughtbeforethecurrentcity

    apparatusbecauseofthelackoftrust.WebelievethetimeisripeforGreensborotomakeboldchangesin

    thisareathatwillmoveourcityforwardandperhapsmodelforothersaneffectiveapproachtoquality

    solutions.Tothatendweputforwardaninitialsetofideasthatwehopecanbedevelopedintoaninitial

    plan/proposal.

    1. TheBCC,citizensandgroupshavebeenmeetingandcarryingoutworkasanadhocPoliceProfessionalismandAccountabilityCommittee.Wehavebeenundertakingsomeofthefunctionsofa

    citizenspolicereviewcommission.Weintendtorefineourprocessandtodeclareourselvesasan

    interimCitizensPoliceReviewCommission.

    Wewouldcontinuedoingtheworkwehavebeendoing,i.e.receivingcomplaintsandprovidingguidancethatwedeemproper,necessaryandlegal.

    Further,wewouldinformandcoordinatewithwhatevermechanismtheCity/HumanRelationsCommissionhasinwayswedeemhelpfultothepersonswithwhomweareworking.

    TheinterimCitizensPoliceReviewBoardwouldcontinuetofunctionuntilwedemocraticallygrowapermanentCitizensPoliceReviewCommission.

    2. Weproposethataprocessbeundertakenassoonaspossibletobringtogethercommittedqualityrepresentativesfromtheuniversity/collegesector,thereligious/faithsector,the

    neighborhood/communitysectorandtheCity/Police/HumanRelationssectors.Thissectorgroup

    wouldworktogethertoexplorepastpracticesinGreensboro(whatworked/whatdidnot)andbest

    practicesfromaroundthenationanddevelopaninitialdraftofwhatmakessenseforGreensboro.

    3. Afteraperiodofwork,thiscollectivesectorgroupcoulddevelopacreativeprocesstogrowtheknowledgeandethicalbasenecessaryforacommissiontofunctionwell;thatmightincludeholding

    severalopenmeetingsineachdistricttoreceive,shareanddiscussinformationandideas.

    4. Atsomepointtheremightbeatownhallmeetingtobringtogetherthefivedistricts,buildingunderstanding,growingknowledgeandforgingtrust.

    5. EachdistrictthenmightbeequippedtoselectorelectacoupleofrepresentativestositonacitywideCitizensPoliceReviewCommission.

    ThisisaninitialdraftofIdeasforDiscussiononly