[CPRB] When to meet to discuss CPRB?

Wed Dec 27 18:21:34 CST 2006

I spoke with a city council member and got clarification about the changes to the Ordinance that were made during bargaining:

Good news: Only rank and file officers will be affected by the rule that they don't have to appear before the Board.  However, the Chief, Asst Chief and Lt. can be called before the board to answer questions about an investigation.  So, the ability to question the police about police dept. investigation results will still exist.

Not so good news:  While the Gazette story said that the PD will investigate all complaints, it didn't clarify that the Board's power to hire an independent investigator was eliminated.  On the plus side, most complaints will not require an independent investigation.  I believe that's what Jen Walling reported to us from her conversations with people from other cities at the conference she attended a year ago (correc me if 'm wrong, Jen).  But, in those few cases where concern arises about whether an investigation was thorough, the independent investigator option will not be available.

I'd be available to meet next week if folks are around.  If a lot of people are still out of town, perhaps we should try for the week of January 7.   I'm free every night that week except Wednesday the 10th.

Esther Patt

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sat, 23 Dec 2006 13:50:47 -0800 (PST)
>From: Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>  
>Subject: [CPRB] When to meet to discuss CPRB?  
>To: cprb at lists.chambana.net, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice <announce at lists.communitycourtwatch.org>
>
>Thanks for the report, John, and the discussion,
>Esther!
>
>I know I raised this before and then didn't do
>anything to make it happen, but I really think now the
>Champaign County Coalition for Citizen Police Review
>should have a meeting, and explicitly invite CU
>Citizens, ACLU, NAACP and Urban League folks, among
>others.  We have at least three topics to discuss:
>
>1. This FOP/Urbana contract and mobilization plans to
>show support for a cprb in Urbana (we should try to
>find out, as Esther says, when the Council is likely
>to discuss it, so we can be ready)
>
>2. The Champaign situation, such as it is
>
>3. The state of our coalition (bank account, coalition
>partners, etc.)
>
>How about the second week of January?
>
>I'm pretty open at the moment, so what are other
>folks' schedules like?
>
>Ricky
>--- Esther Patt <epatt at uiuc.edu> wrote:
>
>> The CPRB would go into closed session for any
>> discussion about a personnel matter.  So if resident
>> x filed a complaint against officer y, yes that
>> would be a closed session. 
>> 
>> All other work of the Board, including discussion
>> about department policies, requests for data (e.g.
>> to monitor racial profiling) would be in public. 
>> 
>> Under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, a public body
>> can go into closed session for only 3 reasons: to
>> discuss personnel, including union negotiations, to
>> discuss property acquisition or to discuss potential
>> or pending litigation. 
>> 
>> Esther 
>> 
>> ---- Original message ----
>> >Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:13:58 -0800 (PST)
>> >From: Matthew Gladney <dj_matt_99 at yahoo.com>  
>> >Subject: Re: [CPRB] City of Urbana & Urbana Police
>> Dept. reach 4-year agreement  
>> >To: Esther Patt <epatt at uiuc.edu>, "John W."
>> <jbw292002 at gmail.com>, cprb at lists.chambana.net, C-U
>> Citizens for Peace and Justice
>> <announce at lists.communitycourtwatch.org>
>> >
>> >I'm curious about the confidentiality clause. Does
>> >this mean that CPRB meetings would be closed
>> session?
>> >When and how does the confidentiality come into
>> play?
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >
>> >Matthew Gladney
>> >
>> >
>> >--- Esther Patt <epatt at uiuc.edu> wrote:
>> >
>> >> Two of the three restrictions are already part of
>> >> the Citizen Police Review Board ordinance that
>> the
>> >> task force forwarded to the council -- that the
>> >> police department will investigate any complaint
>> >> brought against an officer and the
>> confidentiality
>> >> requirement for members of the Board.   
>> >> 
>> >> The only restriction that is different from the
>> >> proposed ordinance is the specific permission for
>> >> officers to refrain from appearing before the
>> Board.
>> >>  However, we expected this would come out of
>> >> negotiations with Fraternal Order of Police
>> because
>> >> it's provided for in the Police Officers' Bill of
>> >> Rights in Illinois.
>> >> 
>> >> Next step is to find out (after the first of the
>> >> year) when this will be back on the council
>> agenda
>> >> and make sure supporters know so they can attend
>> and
>> >> speak at council meeting.
>> >> 
>> >> Happy New Year,
>> >> Esther Patt  
>> >> 
>> >> ---- Original message ----
>> >> >Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 22:40:24 -0600
>> >> >From: "John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com>  
>> >> >Subject: [CPRB] City of Urbana & Urbana Police
>> >> Dept. reach 4-year agreement  
>> >> >To: cprb at lists.chambana.net, C-U Citizens for
>> Peace
>> >> and Justice
>> <announce at lists.communitycourtwatch.org>
>> >> >
>> >> >	
>> >> >The story is in today's News-Gazette.  Here's
>> what
>> >> the article has to say 
>> >> >about the Citizen Police Review Board:
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >The contract includes a provision that the city
>> >> "may adopt and maintain a 
>> >> >civilian police review board."
>> >> >
>> >> >But the city also agreed in the contract that
>> >> police officers are not 
>> >> >required to appear before such a board and that
>> any
>> >> appearance is optional.
>> >> >
>> >> >Other stipulations:
>> >> >
>> >> >* Any complaint brought against a police officer
>> >> shall be investigated by 
>> >> >the department in accordance with department
>> >> policy.
>> >> >
>> >> >* The results of the police investigation could
>> be
>> >> shared with the civilian 
>> >> >police review board, but that board members
>> "shall
>> >> maintain confidentiality 
>> >> >of any and all officer records, files and
>> medical
>> >> information."
>> >> >
>> >> >The city council is considering creation of a
>> >> civilian police review board. 
>> >> >The issue was put on hold, however, during
>> contract
>> >> negotiations.
>> >> >
>> >> >_______________________________________________
>> >> >CPRB mailing list
>> >> >CPRB at lists.chambana.net
>> >> >http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/cprb
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> CPRB mailing list
>> >> CPRB at lists.chambana.net
>> >> http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/cprb
>> >> 
>> >
>> >
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