City Council assesses review board applicants
The council is looking for diverse and unbiased candidates.
Published Sept. 11, 2009
Members of City Council will begin sorting through 49 applications for positions on the Citizens Police Review Board during the next several weeks.
The board, which will function separately from the Columbia Police Department, will investigate complaint appeals, CPD spokeswoman Jessie Haden said. If the person who filed the complaint is not satisfied with CPD's handling, they can go to the review board.
City Clerk Sheela Amin said City Council, which is responsible for selecting board members, has not yet received the applications and is only aware of how many people have applied for positions. Amin said she plans to send the applications to the council members by the end of the week.
The 49 applicants are competing for eight available spots on the board, Amin said. The ninth spot will go to a representative from the Columbia Human Rights Commission.
First Ward Councilman Paul Sturtz said he was not surprised by the number of applicants, given the public interest and media coverage surrounding the formation of the board.
Although the council has not yet determined the exact process candidates will undergo, Sturtz said council members will individually review applications and compile a list of applicants they would like to see interviewed by the whole council.
Sturtz said City Council is looking to assemble a group of fair-minded and judicious people that reflects not only the racial diversity of Columbia but also a variety of backgrounds.
"We don't want to appoint all ex-police officers and we don't want to appoint all activists or lawyers," he said.
City Council will not consider applications from convicted felons, anyone holding a public office or those working for the state.
Sturtz said the people who have applied to be a part of the review board have done so out of a desire to improve their community and a dedication to service.
"We're not looking for people who have an axe to grind either way," he said.
Once the applicants have been selected and undergone training, CPD will begin working out logistical issues such as which part of CPD will have direct contact with the board.
Haden said she anticipates the Professional Standards Unit will be an integral component to reviews conducted by the review board because it handles all internal investigations at CPD.
Haden also said the board will add a layer of transparency to internal investigations conducted by CPD and will allow citizens to better understand how CPD reaches conclusions in those investigations.
"It's definitely a way of getting more information to people and bolstering trust," Haden said.
