Barometer: Do you support the changes to Greensboro’s complaint review committee?

By
Eric Ginsburg
-
2
45

[poll id=”5″]

The Greensboro City Council adopted the following changes to the complaint review committee last week. Vote, and then leave us a comment telling us why.

From the city:

“The committee’s recommendations, adopted by City Council, include:
·         Each City Council member will make a direct appointment to the PCRB*;
·         Expand the board from a seven to nine member panel*;
·         Change the name to Police Citizens Review Board (PCRB);
·         Remove the PCRB from the direction of the Human Relations Commission*;
·         Change the meeting times to weekday evenings;
·         Host meetings at locations throughout the City;
·         Allow complaints against the Greensboro Police Department to be accepted by the PCRB in-person at board meetings, via mail, online, and by phone call;
·         Enhanced training will be required of all board members;
·         Use of independent facilitators will be recommended;
·         Greater marketing and outreach of PCRB processes and services will be implemented.
 
*-Changes to the appointment and structure of the PCRB require an ordinance change and will be brought to future City Council meetings for public discussion and adoption.”

  • Any review board that lacks subpoena power is, in essence, toothless and the City knows it. Moreover, there should be a better and more equitable selection process for who sits on the review board than the whims of City Council members themselves. For a Citizen’s Review Board of the police to have real value to our city it must be independent of political pressure and have fully vested subpoena power – outside of that this move by the City is little more than window dressing.

  • al

    You got that right, III–delay, delay, delay, while the rich and government play.