Thread by @socialistdogmom

tonight’s CRB meeting is getting started a bit late with two members still not here

mayor walker is here in the audience tonight.

starting off with community input. “basically i was talking to a brick wall,” a man says of his latest conversation with the police department about a complaint he first made in 2015.

it sounds like he received an injury during an arrest in 2015. when he asked a detective for a photograph of the injury, he says he was told “hell no.”

when he got out of jail in january of this year, he filed a formal written complaint. he’s told the complaint is still open. complaints are supposed to be processed within 45 days, but the department can request infinite 30 day extensions.

he’s passed board member josh bowers the only communication he’s received from the department about his complaint. bowers says it’s interesting the letter doesn’t even make mention of the 30 day extension policy. just that the complaint remains open.

unfortunately this body can’t help him. they are still in the bylaw writing stage. they hope to establish a board that will be able to help people like this man.

discussing now maybe making the language of the ordinance & bylaws less specific, removing the job titles of executive director & auditor & instead describing the duties & responsibilities and just saying “city staff” more generally.

it makes sense to be a little generic in documents that would require a full vote of city council to revise but they want to find the right balance.

“the last thing we want is to see this board hobbled simply because our selection criteria aren’t met,” josh bowers says. they want to ensure the board represents the community, but it’s possible that if they’re too specific they will have trouble filling the seats.

ms katrina is concerned about the possible lack of interest in serving on the board. where is everyone, she asks, gesturing broadly at the very empty city council chambers.

in attendance today: me, a city staffer, the mayor, former commonwealth’s attorney dave chapman, the man who had his unanswered complaint, and harold folley from the legal aid justice center.
even the cop’s lawyer seems to have gotten too bored to keep coming.

i think josh is right, though - turnout will be better once there IS a board. a year spent writing bylaws doesn’t generate intense community engagement. once the real work begins, people will be here.

sarah & ms rosia have arrived.
we’re still talking bylaws.

a member of the audience is standing near the dais trying to have a 1 on 1 conversation with josh bowers. he’s been asked to direct his comments to the entire board. he’s asking if they have considered doing youth mentorship programs, to which josh says that is not their mission.

next tuesday’s meeting will be canceled because two board members will be working the polls (don’t forget to vote!)

(i know these meetings have a pretty relaxed vibe but when there’s only 5 people in chambers and two of them are having a loud side conversation it’s pretty rude!)

as they approach the finish line on their bylaws, they stop to celebrate their work so far with a cake ms katrina made.

back to bylaw talk. josh is worried that writing in provisions about specific training the must take place before the board can conduct business could cause issues - they can’t allow an outside entity to prevent them from working.

they’re working through the criteria for membership now. there has been some confusion in the past about the definition of “low income” when it comes to board demographics. they’re revising that to require at least one resident of public housing sit on the board.

meeting adjourned. there are two more regular meetings of the police civilian review board scheduled this month before their terms expire at the beginning of july.