Share this post or save later
Lawrence City Commissioners on Tuesday did not take any action on the recommendations of a work group to improve the Community Police Review Board, instead directed the city employees to conduct further research and return to the commission in April.
The Community-Police Oversite Work Group was tasked to evaluate the procedure to handle complaints against the Lawrence Police Department. He was asked to make recommendations for the complaint process and monitoring those complaints of CPRB.
Advertisement
Three members of the work group presented their recommendations to the Commission: Amile Turner, a CPRB member; Harrison Baker, a community member; And Ian McCain, President of Police Union, Lawrence Police Officers Association.
The group’s recommendations included in the 40-Page report were divided into three categories. The Green recommendations approved consensus from the 12-individual work group. The yellow items reached some consensus. Red items did not get any consent.
The green recommendations that the Commission carried forward gave complaints to CPRB against the police department. Currently, the board is limited to reviewing the appeal of the findings of the police department in complaints about bias-based policing. Because of this, CPRB has not reviewed any real appeal since its formation in 2018.
If implemented, the Green recommendations allow the CPRB to investigate the appeal in any important complaint filed against the police department, which extends beyond examples of racial or other bias-driven policing. (Read more about all recommendations on this link.)
The commissioners asked the city employees to pursue green items, either at the level of employees or in April for further action. He also asked the employees to research yellow and red items and to return their findings to the Commission.
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times speaks to Herrison Baker Lawrence City Commission, a member of the Community-Police Oversite Working Group. He is behind Ian McCain, president of the Lawrence Police Officers Association.
The work group held 12 meetings, including two community conversations. The work group consists of the city commissioners, three CPRB members, two police officers and five community members appointed by two police supervisors.
McCan said that it was never easy to reach a consensus in a group of 12 people. But the work group allowed them to sit, discuss and make decisions on green recommendations.
Advertisement
But Baker told the commissioners that he should not ignore yellow and red recommendations. He said that lack of consensus from the work group is not necessarily preventing those levels from having good views.
Mayor Bart Littlezone, Vice Mayor Mike Dever and Commissioner Brad Finkedi all said that they wanted more research and guidance from the city employees on yellow goods before proceeding.
Commissioner Amber Sellers asked the members of the working group presented on Tuesday if they felt that the group had fulfilled what it wanted. He said that the work group zone on the complaint process with its recommendations and did not include so much on other CPRB responsibilities.
Baker said that he had mixed feelings. Although the recommendations of the group were not correct or universal, they realized what they focused on what they focused.
Turner said he felt good about the group’s recommendations. He said that they would help to help CPRB, inform the public and simplify the complaint review process.
He said that CPRB requires more support and the recommendations of the work group were “the tip of the snow”.
The vendors expressed disappointment over the lack of action taken on Tuesday night. Because the city staff had researched only green recommendations, the commissioners did not take action on any yellow or red object because they wanted further guidance. The vendors said that if the employees saw green items, they should have also seen yellow and red items.
“We had to see it as a whole as commissioners,” the vendors said. “And the idea that we were just going to come here and rubber stamp the green oons are insulting me, and this work is insulting the group and the work they did.”
Dever agreed with the vendors and said that he wanted to carry forward the process.
Commissioner Lisa Larsen said she felt that all the recommendations needed to be seen, but she was not ready to give direction to the employees, as it was not what was the action before the Commission on Tuesday – the action was only to receive the report of the work group.
Quler Dun/Lawrence Times Mayor Bart Littlezone, Commissioner Lisa Larsen and Commissioner Amber Sellers
Some community members expressed disappointment at the slow pace of the process. The meeting group appointed in August 2022 and a long delayed, the meeting began with the initial target of finishing its work within four months in May 2023. However, the group did not approve the final report until nine months later.
During that time, CPRB has not met and currently four out of seven seats are filled – just enough for a quorum.
Advertisement
Some members of the public said that only the lack of police surveillance continues, including taking forward further action on April night.
“When will the city commission say,” The Community Police Review Board needs to start a meeting? ” What date effective? Steven Watts said. “This entire process, complete purpose, was to stop a public view of the police. This is all about this. And we keep sitting here and do nothing and listen to this stuff. ,
Chris Flowers said during a public remarks that the Commission could expand the scope of CPRB years ago if they wanted to do all this. He said that the Commission needs to ensure that they look at yellow and red recommendations.
“What was the purpose of all this?” Flowers said. “For example, if the only change that comes from this is the city that now allows to review non-regular complaints, then what was the purpose of all this?”
The Commission decided to keep CPRB separate from the city’s Human Relations Commission. Another City Work Group recommends that the CPRB merger with HRC received strong opposition from members of the community-police oversight work group.
If our local journalism matters to you, please keep doing this work to us.
Don’t miss a beat … click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Cuyler Dunn (she/she), contributor to Lawrence Times, is a student at the University of Kansas School of Journalism. He is a graduate from Lawrence High School, where he was the editor -in -chief of the school newspaper, budget, and was named 2022 Canasus High School Journalist of the Year. Read more of his work for the time here.
Related coverage: Lawrence Community Police Review Board
Share this post or save later
A work group recommends that the Community Police Review Board of Lawrence should monitor the complaints against the police department.
McKenzie Clarke/Lawrence Times
Share this post or save later
The candidates running for the Lawrence City Commission shared their views on the community inspection of the police on Saturday, how to attach the marginalized people and more during the last platform of this election cycle.
Share this post or save later
A work group will hold the city the first of two planned community conversations, updating the way the city is updating the complaint about the Lawrence Police Department.
More …
Latest Lawrence News:
August Rudicell / Lawrence Times
Share this post or save later
The city of Lawrence will reopen its fertilizer facility for the season on Saturday, March 2 with a self-load event.
Share this post or save later
Laki Maltbi has been selected as the new CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence. He recently worked as the director of development for CU endowment.
Share this post or save later
The Lawrence-Dagglas County Public Health and Lawrence Community Shelter are partnered to bring the clinical services of the Health Department directly to the guests living in shelter.
Share this post or save later
A work group recommends that the Community Police Review Board of Lawrence should monitor the complaints against the police department.
More …