Members of the Lawrence Community Police Review Board discuss proposed changes to the board's structure and a plan to gather input from the community about those changes as part of their meeting Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020.

The Lawrence Community Police Review Board has approved a draft ordinance that aims to strengthen oversight of complaints against police and will soon begin seeking input from the public.

As part of its meeting Thursday, the board voted unanimously to approve the draft ordinance and move forward with plans for community engagement and input. The board called for a review of its structure and powers in June, and has spent the months since then creating and refining the draft ordinance.

“After all the intense work we’ve done now we can see some light, going into this engagement piece,” Board Chair Tonia Salvini said.

Board members have previously described the board as a “rubber stamp” for the police department under its current setup. The draft ordinance aims to increase transparency and accountability regarding complaints made against police. Though a division of the Lawrence police department will continue to investigate complaints against police under the draft, it gives the board the ability to call for an independent, outside investigation if deemed necessary, among other changes.

More specifically, under the draft ordinance approved Thursday, the board would review all complaints filed by residents against police and the police department’s investigation. In addition, the board would have the ability to conduct a preliminary review of complaints and to request an additional statement from the complainant if needed. Once the police department’s internal investigation is complete, the board can request that the department do additional investigation if it determines it’s necessary. At the end of an investigation, if the board finds there is not enough evidence to support the police department’s conclusion, then it can request an independent investigation.

The current ordinance governing the board — which was arrived at after a long debate that included push-back from the local police union — allows the board to review only complaints against police that involve racial and other bias and only if someone appeals the police department’s decision in writing within 14 days. If the board disagrees with the finding, it can recommend to the city manager that the department investigate further. As the Journal-World has reported, the board has yet to review any complaints in the more than two years since it was created.

In the coming months, the board plans to conduct listening sessions and community surveys to get public feedback about the draft ordinance to strengthen its review powers. During Thursday’s meeting, board members discussed the creation of an accessible summary of the changes they’ve drafted and a plan to ensure a wide range of residents participate in the community input.

“Injustice is relevant to everyone, so that’s why we want every community member to be engaged in what we are doing,” board member Sanjay Mishra said when discussing the message they hope to communicate to the public.

Board subcommittees will be meeting in coming weeks to draft the summary and survey questions, and the board will further discuss those components as part of its next meeting on Jan. 14. Once the survey is launched and feedback is gathered, the board will consider potential changes to the draft based on the responses. The board’s recommended ordinance will ultimately go to the City Commission for consideration.

Community Police Review Board 12/10/20