COLUMBIA — Since the plan for a Citizens Police Review Board was tabled at a special City Council meeting in June, city officials have been working to change the language of the review board ordinance to address concerns raised at the meeting. On Friday, they released the revised ordinance, which the council will discuss and possibly vote on Monday night.
"The council at the meeting had a number of items that they wanted to take a look at," Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade said. "A staff report addressed each of them, and I think this is a proposal that is ready to come to a vote."
Concerns brought up at the June 8 council meeting included the training members of the review board would receive, the timetable for filing complaints, qualifications for board members and subpoena power for the board.
The amended ordinance was intended to address those concerns and implement many of the suggestions made by the police and the public.
Wade and Third Ward Councilman Karl Skala said they support the revised ordinance.
Second Ward Councilman Jason Thornhill said he supports the idea of a review board in general, but not in its previous form. He said he could not comment on the changes to the ordinance as he had not yet reviewed them in depth. Representatives from the Columbia Police Department and the Columbia Police Officers' Association could not be reached for comment.
The amended ordinance does not grant the review board subpoena power, but the board would be able to request that the council amend the ordinance after it is passed if it thinks subpoena power is needed. Subpoena power can be used to persuade reluctant witnesses to appear in front of the board and could be enforced through the courts, according to notes filed with the amended ordinance. The document also states that the Citizen Oversight Committee voted subpoena power down because some members feared the power could be abused.
All meetings and records relating to the board will be open to the public, except those involving an undercover officer, the amended ordinance states. Meetings regarding employee discipline and personnel records are currently closed. "This provides employees with confidentiality but has not fostered public trust in the police internal affairs process," the document states. "The proposed ordinance would sacrifice police officer privacy in order to promote public trust in the process and in the police department."
Other major changes include:
The amendments will not increase the annual cost of the board, which is estimated at $87,177.