RICHMOND, Va. -- The City of Richmond is looking to hire a manager of the soon-to-be-established civilian review board (CRB), three years after the concept was first introduced.
A job posting for the position is now active.
"I was excited. I was like, 'Yes finally!'" Angela Fontaine said about discovering the job posting. “To me, it’s a pinnacle moment in police oversight in Richmond."
A CRB is a group of citizens who review police misconduct in an effort to increase accountability and transparency with the public.
Some local governments across Virginia have already implemented these boards, including Charlottesville, Norfolk, and Fairfax.
Richmond will be the first locality in the metro region to establish one.
“I see this as an opportunity for the community to heal some of its issues with the City of Richmond," Fontaine said.
In 2020, amid civil unrest and clashes between civilians and police, the Richmond City Council voted to approve a task force that would begin looking into what a CRB in Richmond could potentially entail.
Fontaine was the co-chair of that group, and she said she spent many months researching while consulting with police, prosecutors, and community members.
"It was really community engagement -- education, townhall meetings, we did a huge survey that was open to anyone including internally the police department," Fontaine said. "I worked tirelessly and went through a lot of dramatic moments to get here.”
The task force presented its final report in August 2021, and public debate among city leaders and activists proceeded over how much power the board should have over the Richmond Police Department.
Some activists wanted the CRB to have disciplinary authority and make policy changes, while others, including VCU policing expert Dr. Will Pelfrey, said the board should serve as an advisory body without powers.
Ultimately in 2022, the council approved the creation of an eight-member board along with a full-time manager and gave the CRB powers to investigate cases of police misconduct, audit the processes in which police investigate complaints, and make recommendations to the chief of police.
"I was satisfied with the outcome," Fontaine said. "Also, I was very satisfied with the kind of the realist perspective that we're not going to have a perfect CRB from the jump. The more data that we get through the creation of this in Richmond, we can start adjusting, getting more money allocated for it, doing those things."
And then a year after the council's vote, the board's manager position has now been posted.
“This person cannot perpetuate the same issues that the city has had with engaging the community," Fontaine said.
The city's posting states that an ideal candidate would have knowledge of local, state, and federal laws, a strong legal foundation, preferably a bachelor's and master's degree, seven years of supervisory experience, and previous experience working with community boards or commissions.
The salary is listed at $87,000-$139,000.
Fontaine believes the most critical part of the role is community engagement.
“In my opinion, that community focus piece is the biggest piece," Fontaine said. "A person that has had experience creating standard operating procedures, starting a nonprofit, maybe supervising people, gathering, educating, getting information out."
Fontaine is also a professional coach, and she said she's offering free consulting for anyone interested in applying to this position. A link to her website can be found here.
To learn more about the position, visit the city's job posting here.
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