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Home My WebLink About07-11-2000 ArticlesIowa City ' BeanbagsaerosoF fon:u o, the chemJca] commonly ~ed pepper ~my. : From ~ ,: ' : ~e dep~nt ~ ~ O.C, ~e beanbag.... ~ ~ ye~ ~e b~ ~ shot O~t Of ~ ' '~e dep~ment u~e~ ~t~ 12-gauge shot~ ~ ~ ~e~ ~es a mon~ d~: shot~ By Jennifer Dyke ~em ~ fo~ leve~ of o~e~avoidco~ion S~B~C~p~ ' l~a cit~ ~s-cit~m~ w~ ~e d~ent ~ ~ ~ot~ ~g' ~ ' Cmpbe~ ~d ~t ~ mo~ '~e of force": h~n, m~. ~, o~y ~e Iowa Ci~ PoUce pepper ~ray, bato~ ~d ~e dep~en* ~ ~e n~e~ Depment j~t f~hed ~. m~, but ~e shot~ ~ ~ ~Ce~y ~ some situation, ~ for a new ~on ~e g~ hem ~ ~ ~ve ~e p~e~ of be~ p~ted, when a pe~on mom ~we~ ~ a ~ mme~ ~ ~een," ~d ~en ~e shot~ ~ck but le~ le~ ~ a C~[ Pa~ck H~eg ~~b~. ~e be~ba~ co~d ~ ~o~e~m~da~eu~C gene~ cooper~on, Cmp~ Officem ~ ~e de~ reed, for emple, ~ a ~ she~ ~ ~si~ ~ ~ '.' merit ~ now ~ m ~ ~doff si~tion, such ~ ~e~ con~ ag~i~ a pemon ~g m le~" - ' Iowa Ci~ ~g sm~, h~ or ~ ~e~. ~e l~-let~ ~s~ti0n clo~ b~ of "Ifs not one ~t ~ gong me~ ~e ~ ~ve ~e le~ shot out of cnlordes~ to get broad ~e,' s~d ~ffi~ m ~e a ~e ~ ~ed ~ lg-~e ~ot~. 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Mt ~ a f~b~ ~m a p~ f~io~ pi~er,' ~d S~ Bm ~be~ See B~NBAGS, 5A A~bany NY: limesunion.¢om: news hltp wxvx~ es n o c /AspSlories/slory.asp?stoDKc~, 3b022&calegor~ C ~ By ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Staffwriter ~.....:.:..... ................ First published: Wednesday, June 21,2000 Public speaks out on review board · Albany -- Independent investigation sought; decision on legislation could come next week A two-hour public hearing Tuesday saw residents once again call for independent investigation of complaints against the police. Gora,,/eh Meanwhile, members of the Common Council's Learning Public Safety Committee said they may make a Sl/ste ms. decision on civilian review board legislation as early ]ll ~:. as next week. - The committee will most likely come up with several amendments to a mayor-supported proposal, members said, although they could not elaborate on what changes would be made. The committee will meet again at City Hall at 6 p.m. on Tuesday to consider the three pieces of review board legislation now pending before it. "We've heard the same thing tonight that we've heard for the past six months -- the words independence and investigative power," said Council Member and committee Chairwoman Carolyn McLaughlin. "If we don't give the people a semblance of what they've asked for, we're telling them that we don't care about what they think." McLaughlin last week issued a memo outlining recommended changes to the review board proposal that was unanimously approved in April by a mayor-appointed task force -- of which she was one of nine members. Her suggestions include employing an executive director who would receive and process all complaints for the board, and g ving the board the power to conduct independent investigations and compel witness testimony. Counc Member Thomas Nitido, who also sits on the Iof2 6t21 009:04AM Public Safety Committee, said that any changes will be the result of negotiation and may not go as far as some would like. "On divisive issues, we have to accommodate opposing views, not let one side batter the other until they get exactly what they want," he said. Roughly 35 residents and activists attended the public hearing Tuesday night. Many who have spoken at almost every police review forum came to reiterate their belief that the board will not gain citizens' trust unless it has investigatory power. The mayor-supporte&proposal continues to rely on the police department to investigate complaints. "We all concede that a police officer has a hard job; so do I," said Karen Salih, president of the Community Organization for Radical Action. "But if I break rules and laws, 1 will be investigated by others not associated with me in my job. And I will not be allowed to investigate myself or be selective in what I want investigated." A recent proposal by Mayor Jerry Jennings to let an independent observer selected by the review board watch as police investigate allegations of civil rights violations or excessive use of force was panned by several speakers. "It's only a first step," said Courtney Burke, speaking on behalf of the Albany County League of Women Voters. "But it doesn't change that the board would be powerless and able only to do retroactive reviews (of complaints)." [~ Send this story to a friend Return to Top Copwight 2000, Capital Ne~spap~xs Divisim) of Thc llearsl Corporation. Albany. N.Y. The information you receive onlin5 from Trines l !nion is protected by Ihe copyright laws of thc l. lnited Stats. The copyright lam prohibit any copying, redistribuling, rclrai~'mitting, or repurposing of any ¢opyright-protecl~ material. 2 of 2 6/21/00 9:04 AM ,-- By ELIZABETH BENJAMIN, Staffwdter ? "'~------- First published: Friday, June 16, 2000 Jennings backs board observer Albany -- Mayor shifts position on altering police review panel t ~ Bowing to criticism that the civilian police review , board he supports wouldn't be independent enough, Mayor Jerry Jennings on Thursday suggested adding investigation of complaints alleging civil rights ~~ violations and excessive use of force. ~..~ This paid observer would be selected by the review board from a rotating panel of attorneys, investigators and former judges approved by Albany Law School's Government Law Center. CLARK MUSIC "The community has the right to know what we're doing right from the start when complaints of this magnitude are made," Jennings said. This is a departure from the mayor's past position, which, until this year, was to oppose changes in the existing Community/Police Relations Board, which i has been criticized for being powerless. Police Chief John C. Nielsen said whoever is chosen as an observer by the review board would be allowed to sit in on Office of Professional Standards ~nvestigations from beginning to end The observer would then be able to brief the board on the process and bring any problems to the ch;eft "1 think our investigations are good, there's nothing ;we're trying to hide," said Nielsen. "Having an observer is clearly necessary to getting consensus on this issue" Activists who have criticized the mayor-supported proposal, which continues to rely on the police department for the investigation of complaints, said this new amendment is a step in the right direction, but it still doesn't go far enough. "This is better than what he has, but it would be nice if he went a little further and gave the board the power to investigate complaints itself," said Mice Green, executive director of the Center for Law & Justice. "I'm happy to hear he is thinking about how to make the process more open and independent." Louise Roback, executive director of the Capital Region Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said the a[nendment doesn't change the basic structure of the proposed review board, which she does not consider powerful enough. The board would still have to rely on the subpoena power of the Common Council to compel witness testimony if it is unsatisfied with the police department's investigation as well as additional review by the mayor and the police chie£ The review board could only ask to use the council's subpoena power to investigate allegations of civil rights violations or excessive force by the police. Officials would reserve the right to suspend these investigations if the city or police department seemed in danger of being sued by complainants. Jennings on Thursday again issued a call for opponents of the proposed board to "give it a chance to work." "I'm tired of the rhetoric, of people saying this isn't real and their way is the only way," he said. There are now three proposals on civilian police review pending before the council's Public Safety Committee. Council Chairwoman Carolyn McLaughlin, who also authored one of the pending bills said she could not comment on mayor's proposed amendment because she had not yet seen it. The committee will hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the Common Council chambers at City Hall. ~ Send this story to a friend 6/16/00 8:43 AM