Council Steps Sideways on Civilian Review

Bryant Hawkins

The City Council approved a proposal by Councilman Kenneth Stokes to begin developing a form of civilian oversight of police.

by Ward Schaefer
March 9, 2010

The Jackson City Council approved a resolution today that represents an intermediate step toward establishing some form of civilian oversight of the Jackson Police Department. After months of deliberation in committee, the resolution calls for the creation of a "an independent community advocacy review process for police matters."

Jackson State criminology professor Jimmy Bell, who has served as an expert on models of civilian oversight for the council, said that the resolution enabled a more formal conversation about what form of oversight would work best in the city. "It's a process of getting to whatever kind of vehicle the mayor or (police) wants," Bell said.

In committee meetings, Bell has suggested that city leaders might prefer to create a single paid position of independent police auditor, rather than the civilian review board favored by advocacy groups like the Mississippi ACLU and Malcolm X Grassroots Movement.

At today's meeting, Mississippi ACLU Executive Director Nsombi Lambright said that her organization's priority is ensuring community participation in the review of complaints against police."We want some type of community process created," Lambright said. "It doesn't matter if there's (also) a (police auditor) position."

Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who has pushed for a civilian review process for almost two years, originally proposed an ordinance on the issue, but on the advice of the city's legal department, he amended his proposal as a resolution.

"Looking at the document, it's more akin to a resolution than an ordinance," Deputy City Attorney James Anderson told council members. "At this time, the ordinance as it's written has some serious problems. I would suggest that it be amended to a resolution, then (you) could put together some specificity as to whatever the entities involved would want."

The city's legal department did not have input in writing Stokes' proposed ordinance, Anderson said."If we're not going to have another roadblock, if we're doing this in good spirit and with clean hands, then ... I have no problem (amending the resolution)," Stokes said.

At the council's work session yesterday, Police Chief Rebecca Coleman expressed doubts about the proposed ordinance. Coleman said she wanted to know how the review process coincides with internal police investigations.

"If this (ordinance) is to be adopted by the council, I believe some plan should be put in place so that we will know who this police monitor will answer to, where's that level of supervision for them. Will this person be responsible for overseeing the outcome of an investigation, or will this person be on the front end of the investigation?" Coleman asked the council. "Those answers have not been given to me or any members of the police department."

Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said she understood Coleman's reluctance. "That troubles me because that directly impacts your work," Barrett-Simon said to her.

Ward 6 Councilman Tony Yarber said yesterday that he believed city legal was fully behind the ordinance during committee discussions last month."We were given what I thought was the assurance of city legal during the committee meeting that this review process was in good shape," Yarber said.

At today's meeting, Yarber urged council members to keep in mind the "spirit" of Stokes' proposal, which was to move the city closer to some form of civilian review, he said.

"This is cranking the car up, if you will," Yarber said. "It's saying everyone get in the car, and we'll have a conversation about where we're going."

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