Members of the Chattanooga Police Advisory Review Committee (PARC) on Tuesday slammed a new state-mandated setup based on the system used by Knoxville.
PARC member Dee Visser said, "Knoxville's system is a joke, and this new committee will be a joke. This is bad for our city and it's bad for our state."
Christy Rashed, another current member, said the change "just makes us a rubber stamp. We need a voice in what is going on."
The state Legislature passed a law that went into effect July 1 setting up a seven-member board and a separate executive director. All meetings would be open to the public. The panel would only review cases after the police chief had acted. The mayor would name the committee members and executive director with confirmation by the City Council.
City Attorney Phil Noblett has drawn up a proposed resolution for a new PARC committee in conformity with the new state law. He said the Legislature had "taken a sledge hammer" to the prior legislation on police advisory panels.
Members of the nine-member City Council said having just seven members would leave out some communities. City Councilwoman Carol Berz suggested making nine appointments with two listed as alternates, who could still take part in committee discussions. Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod also urged nine members.
Attorney Noblett said on the going from seven to nine that the city would find out "if the state attorney general's office is going to fuss with us."
Councilwoman Berz said, "I've never minded taking on the state."
PARC Chair Mary Anne Hensley said it would be hard to find people willing to serve on the new board. She said the current panel had gained a close working relationship with Chief Celeste Murphy and she had been receptive to their ideas on pending police discipline cases.
She said, "A lot of trust has been built up with the police department and we just hate to see that go away."
PARC member Kanika Jones said it would also be difficult to find someone who would act as executive director at $30,000. She said that is "entry level" at the company where she works.
Members said in their closed meetings they had been able to review body camera evidence and hear other sensitive information.
The law says the committee could not examine cases filed before Jan. 1, 2023.
Currently, with the PARC committee inactive due to a council moratorium, the cases are under the total purview of Chief Murphy.