RICHMOND, Va. -- On Monday night with the backing of multiple council members, Mayor Levar Stoney's Office outlined the latest update on what Richmond's civilian review board (CRB) could look like.
The last CRB proposal came before the board in March and several changes have been made since then.
"This new proposal reflects a collaborative effort with members of the city council, and I greatly appreciate their critical insight. The result is a CRB that will be equipped to respond to the needs of our community, ensure accountability and enhance the public safety of all Richmond residents," Stoney said.
Stoney's office says the civilian review board will focus on serious cases of misconduct, all officer-involved shootings, in-custody abuse, injuries, and deaths and citizen appeals of Richmond Police Department decisions.
The board would also review internal RPD investigations before any disciplinary action is imposed and is allowed to make recommendations for the police chief's consideration.
According to the mayor's office changes are as follows:
The board would now have eight members instead of seven. Four of these members would be appointed by the city council and the other four members would be appointed by the mayor.
Before the police chief was permitted to appoint one member but that is no longer the case. Additionally, board members - and any relatives of board members - cannot have pending complaints or litigation against the Richmond Police Department or the City of Richmond.
There can also be no more than two representatives from the same council district and a full-time CRB staffer would now be hired by the city council instead of coming from within the Office of the Inspector General.
The CRB would still have the authority to hire independent investigators on a contract basis and request subpoena(s) from the Richmond Circuit Court, however requesting subpoenas would now require a supermajority 6-8 vote.
Instead of a five-year residency requirement, board members are now simply just required to be a city resident. The stipend for board members is also doubled from $1,200 to $2,400.
Items that stayed the same between proposals include:
- No current, former, or family members of police officers can serve on the board
- Board members shall reflect the diversity of the city, which includes race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, geographic location, and socioeconomic status
- The CRB is classified as an independent advisory board (can make policy, procedure, and disciplinary recommendations)
- A liaison from RPD will assist with providing timely information and data to the Board (non-voting, support position)
No action on the latest CRB proposal was taken Monday night. It was the first presentation for city council members to review.
The budget proposed for the CRB has also remained the same at $204,199.
In 2020, Mayor Stoney, City Council, and Police Chief Gerald Smith expressed their support for the creation of a civilian review board.
The mayor’s office says the introduced legislation reflects input from the City Council’s Task Force for the Establishment of a Civilian Review Board and the Mayor’s Task Force on Reimagining Public Safety and also incorporates recommendations from Dr. William Pelfrey’s report to the Mayor and Council in February.
Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith is holding community conversations throughout September. Residents can ask about the Civilian Review Board or anything else.
The conversations are being held in an effort to be more transparent following the fallout from RPD's claims of foiling a mass shooting plot on July 4th at Dogwood Dell. The first two conversations will be next Wednesday at Liberation Church and next Thursday at First Baptist Church.
The following week on September 21, a community conversation will be held at MLK Middle School and on September 22 at Barack Obama Elementary School. There will also be a telephone town hall on September 27.
All meetings start at 6:30 p.m.
