The City Council is considering adding language relating to the new Police Advisory and Review Committee to the city charter.
Residents would be asked at an upcoming election to vote yes or no on adding the language.
It states:
SECTION 1. That the present Charter of the City of Chattanooga, and all Acts and
Ordinances amendatory thereof, be and is hereby further amended by adding a new Section 13.17
to Title 13 of the City Charter as follows:
Sec. 13.17. Title and Authority for the Police Advisory and Review Committee.
(a) There is hereby created the Police Advisory and Review Committee for the City of
Chattanooga.
(b) The Police Advisory and Review Committee is established pursuant to Council’s
authority under Sections 13.44 and 13.49 of the Charter of the City of Chattanooga to provide for
the safe tenure of officers on their jobs so long as they properly and efficiently fulfill the duties of
their positions and pursuant to the Council’s authority under Section 16-43 of the Chattanooga
City Code to ratify and adopt rules and regulations for the government and discipline of the police
department. This Committee shall further have all powers of a Community Oversight Board
consistent with Tennessee state law.
(c) The purpose of the Police Advisory and Review Committee is to strengthen the
relationship between the citizens of the City of Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Police
Department, to assure timely, fair and objective review of citizen complaints while protecting the
individual rights of police officers, and to make recommendations concerning citizen complaints
to the Chief of Police, the Mayor and to the City Council.
(d) The Committee shall have no authority to direct the Police Chief to alter or to
impose any disciplinary action against any employee of the Chattanooga Police Department. In all
cases, the Police Chief will be the final authority on case dispositions and discipline of police
officers.
FOR THE AMENDMENT ( )
AGAINST THE AMENDMENT ( )