RICHMOND, Va. -- A civilian review board in Richmond is working to foster trust and maintain accountability among police departments.
In a meeting on Monday night, council members heard from the VCU professor and law enforcement expert whose job it is to figure out how the board could help the police department.
Between 2013 and 2021, Richmond Police saw more department-issued complaints than complaints initiated by citizens.
Dr. Will Pelfrey analyzed the complaint data against Richmond Police from the last nine years and also compared it to other southern cities of a smaller size.
Pelfrey said this suggests RPD takes officer accountability seriously. However, he also said the formal citizen complaint process is a flawed system.
That's because often, citizens nationwide, not just in Richmond, don't file complaints due to mistrust, fear of ramifications or no confidence in a resolution. However, this is where Pelfrey said a citizen review board could improve public trust.
The board would review things like internal investigations, officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths.
Pelfrey recommends the following for a successful review board:
- Seven to 11 diverse members
- To maintain objectivity, members with a law enforcement connection or a felony conviction would be disqualified
- Members would be appointed by different sources, like the mayor, council or police chief
- There would also be a non-voting RPD liaison
Pelfrey said in the short term, officers may not be fully on board but in the long term, there are benefits for both the police and the community.
"The whole purpose of a civilian review board revolves around trust and accountability. A police department is more effective if they have the trust of the citizenry. They'll secure information, they'll collect intelligence, they'll get participation from the community which enhances their effectiveness and their efficiency," Pelfrey said.
Some of the concerns brought up by council members included stipends for CRB members, excluding a person with a felony from serving, what training the board would be subject to and allowing for a public hearing on the issue.
The board will meet again next Monday to further discuss these concerns.
