RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia Commonwealth University professor and law enforcement expert is scheduled to present his findings to the Richmond City Council Monday afternoon about what a Civilian Review Board would add to the city.
The goal of a Civilian Review Board is to foster trust and maintain accountability among police departments. It's designed to investigate deaths in custody, police shootings and serious citizen complains.
Dr. William Pelfrey, a professor at VCU's L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, was asked by Mayor Levar Stoney's office to compile and present recommendations on a Civilian Review Board. The formation of the board in Richmond comes after protests and advocacy from local racial equality groups.
Pelfrey analyzed nine years of Richmond Police Department internal and citizen complaints. He found that if a Civilian Review Board would be established, then their caseload wouldn’t be very large.
The board itself may be seen negatively among the police ranks.
“In the short term, some police officers will say, ‘I don't want citizens looking at us,’” Pelfrey explained. “But the long-term payoff is greater trust, which means the police will get greater information from citizens. That’s going to pay off for the police in the long run.”
Pelfrey said Richmond is the exception among most medium and large cities across the nation who established a Civilian Review Board years ago. He stated that the city has not had a huge need for police oversight.
After analyzing data, he found Richmond doesn’t have a long history of deaths in custody, tragic events, federal lawsuits and consent decrees that have plagued police departments across the country.
“The Richmond Police Department is one of the few urban police departments that’s accredited nationally. That means a nationally accredited body has come in and looked at their policies, training, officer selection, administration and said you meet the top standards in the United States. For a city like Richmond that’s a real mark of quality,” Pelfrey said.
Pelfre, who also serves as VCU's Acting Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, could not discuss his recommendations with CBS 6 at the time of the interview.
He said the city's police chief, mayor and city council agree that a Civilian Review Board should exist. Yet, they differ on the makeup and who should get a seat on the board.
