HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-16-2001 Articles 4A · The Gazette, Wed., May 9, 2001
GAZETTE EDITORIALS
PCRB needs more
power, not less The counc recognized that the PCR has
HE POLICE CITIZENS Review Board prob*done a good job of reviewing complaints and
Tably wfil survive its first official sunset, that the number of complaints is dropping. That
but the City Council may be about to doesn't mean the community, in general, has
lessen its powers. any more confidence in the police department:
Bad move. Instead, consider giving the PCRB Several policy and procedural issues. such as
more clout. the use of garbage searches and knock-and-
Created in the wake of the August 1996 police talks, remain current concerns.
And the need for reviewing complaints has
shooting of Eric Shaw, an unarmed local man,
the PCRB reviews police investigations into not diminished.
allegations of misconduct by police officers. It Perhaps the. City Council should look at
reports on whether it sustains the chiefs another model: Wisconsin state law allows for a
findings, maintains a central registry of corn police and fLre commission that is responsible
for hiring the chiefs of those departments,
plaints against sworn police officers and re-
views police policies and practices. approving or disapproving promotions, and
Its sunset clause occurs in August. The supervising departmental hiring. That system
has been in place tbr decades. In Milwaukee,
council has already agreed informally to renew
the ordinance that created the board --- against that board also handles policy oversight.
the wishes of the Police Labor Relations Organi- Madison Assistaut Police Chief Noble Ray
zation of Iowa City. But some council members says the relationship between the commission
want to scale back and the two departments is very good. It has
the board's mission, helped the city weather some controversial
Give the Police including reducing situations and issues. He said the police depart-
Citizens Review meetings from month- ment has worked hard to develop a "trust
ly to an "as-needed" bank" in the community and notes that the
Board a dynamic basis to review com- effort depends on the department and communi-
mission that plaints. Mayor Ernie ty believing they have a vested interest in
includes holding Lehman also suggest retaining that trust.
ed the PCRB could That's exactly what's needed here. Give the
regular, I~eaningful assist the council or Police Citizens Review Board a dynamic mis-
forums on policy and police chief. sion that includes holding regular, meaningful
procedure. Such suggestions forums on policy and procedure. And give the
run contrary to the board some power to make changes in policy
and procedure when the community wants it.
reasons PCRB was
created. It should continue, and remain inde-
pendent of the police department.
pinion
ThursdaY,
May 10,
2001
Iowa City press-Citizen
Keep the city Police board wan,s to dosomethingdif-
Not if compared to the
police board life of just one victhn or just iS still needed ferent, it's somehow bad
Don't need it. Was good
The Press-Citizen's edito- one officer's career or life. The Iowa City Press- enough for me. Like the
rial on April 24 suggested the And if the board con-
Pnlice Citizeos Review% chides that there is no good Citizen~ proposed solution way it is. We can not longel
to the Iowa City Police tel these old fuds guide pol
Boardshould just fade away allernative to the cun-c~',t Citize~m Review Born-d, as icy and lhwart chm~ge. Ip
tinfortunately the kind Ill' policy, then we all cml star~
problem that fostered the I,, recliV addi'ess the cb= setforthinarecenteditorial, other states the attitude is
bom'd's creation w411 not fadp cnmstturces and values that is extremely weak. The post- 'Right on! Let's give that a
lion taken exemplifies the try."'
away. hrmg us to that dilenmm. recent critical comments Is the Editorial Board
Iowa City Mayor Emie Ronald 'I'yree made by Des Moines made up of naysayers and
LehLaan put his finger on the Iowa City Register political colm~u~st , old fuds? You say: "This
most likely reason when in David Yepsen about lowa's , (Police Review Board) will
the aftennath of Eric Shaw's future. I never be the board we
death he spoke on the week Among a litany of corn- intended and hoped in the
ly KXIC progran~ flint airs on plah,,ts set forth in his ard- beginnh~g? Why? Beeaase oI
Friday mortrings- des, Yepsen states, "Also, we legal impediments to such a
The mayor said that our need to quit listenh~g to the board are too great. It won't
naysayers. They're evepd- happen!"
police today are trained to where. lt's that crotchety Of all of your editorials 1
respond with deadly force view that anytime someone have read over the pasl
when confronted with crimi decade, tiffs is the most dis
nat ch-curnstances- appointing. Not only for the
However, instant judg- content of your position bm
merits in the dark of night moreover for the spineles~
ndght be wrong, and nol all approach you embod~
crindnal acts rightfully If New York City, Los
requU'e deadly force. Angeles and Milwaukee
Tiu·death in New '/13rk <,f aLaongst countless other
the African inunigranl cities can overcome legal
nmned .~anadou Diallo like Paid political in~pedin~ents to
wkse testifies to the sm~w such police review boards
problem ~ a questionable and create workable, useful
ptllicy. inslitutions to protect the
The mayor indirecl ly civil liberties of citizens, I am
c{nLauented again on thai certain that Iowa City can
policy at a recent meeting muster the coLa'age to do the
hetween the PCRB mid Ihe saune.
City Comaeli. He voiced lhe Your editorial position
vie,~]>oint that the city's this case has given a ve~
police action policy should negative message to old and
nol be a part of the PCRB's young lowarts alike.
pupAew, but rather belongs You are pro'Ang Yepse~l
to the City Council iiself. to be correct when he urge.-
If lids view is shared h.,, Iowa'syouthtofleethestato
al] the cormoil, additional seeking empowerment.
lht, list ofdctims ofaccidcn who has chosen to ~ve ir
tal denth hy pnlice a<,lilltl Iowa over New York
at that policy. Richard V. Campagn~
· RACIAL PROFILING ·
RaGial profiling: How two poliGe departments are
addressing the issue
Racial prol'iliug is a discriminatory stop -- citation, arrchL
pracdcc in whicl~ a person is ~cport, cw. . ~'
targeted by law enforccmen~ "Fhc data collection
officials on the hasis of skin color challcllges our officers to , ' ' Q: ~
or eth~licitv. It is based t)ll the lauhv Rlakc lawful stops. They
prcmisc thin mnxorilics c{mmfit a ' M~ould bc ablc to iu lieulate ' 'j ~ "
majt~rity of drug offousts. M~y a stop or a search ~il~ _.
While mimy agree it is wrollg, thc~ c filadc," said Chief Michilcl
has bccg little conscusus oll how to R. tMadcl, Davenport
address agd ultinlalcly eliminate this Police Dcpilrtmcnt.
pr;tctice. Another aspect ol their
The cities of Iowa City and approach to racial profiling
Davenport have taken an approach to is traiuing. Bolh
cnsmc racial protiling is not a practice Davenport agd Iowa City
o[ their police departrecurs and to police departments arc
diminish a public perccptiou thai it is trained m cultural diversity ""-
occurring. and scnsitivily.
The approach The results { '/llc'[ ll Tnkc/llake demonstratc,% tlzc
Both the Iowa City a[ld Davenport Once the da[il is collected it 1-t,~lr[ z/it Halfi~ %lilt} dala shcct.
police deparln/cnts have incorporated statistician icyicons it lot till%
data collection into cvc~ traffic stop. trends that indicate it practice ot litci,tl both taken a stand against raciul
Duriug the tralfic stop the officer profiling. A trend can bc indicated by L~ profiling for their departments "It
Lh'ivcr such as race aIld gcuder. The being stopped o~ an uneven uumhcz ol [hat is instigated by the leaders o1' the
_oldoct also records the teasou for the citations issued to a specilic ~acizd tu' department," commentcd Sergeant Sid
top; whether :t hearth was performed; ethnic group. Jackson, Iowa City Police DepartinGfit,
,he audmHty under which the search If it trend is discovered, the The chiefs of these departments
was performed: and the result of the department ~,ill take appropriate had a lot of help implementing their
corrective ilC[iOIIS. Actiol/s C/Ill illcltldC progranls. Sergeallt Jacksou hits hCCII
training instrumental in devising a plan from
(felt:lining), which Iowa City is ~orking. Davenport
Comprehensiue disciplinar> ndions has relied ou the cffi,ns of ('itptain
nneeringanning
,"~ Ih'CC~MII~ I~ lhc ]b hclp the efforts of ll~c police
.: ' ' ~ dcplntulcnt dcpartmcnL lo~a City'~ city council
' ' : : p~;~i~-~ The ~c~uh, ~,~ passed a resolution adopting a
Snyder & Associates Inc. r~.h.~ h, k,,, .,,mqit> racial p,utilmg, tc~:dl,
Anken~ Athmtic Cednr Ri~pidb Winkcllmkc h,x~n lunghm~s m Iow;t ('itx and l)a~cnptut
Taking a stand it[Id (altotin Ackcxm,m
8 CIIY~CAP[ May200l