City Council Approves Reformatted Police Advisory Review Despite Objections

  • Tuesday, October 17, 2023

The City Council on Tuesday reluctantly approved a new version of the Police Advisory Review Committee.

Jenny Hill and Carol Berz voted against the resolution, which became necessary after the Legislature made drastic changes in the police review panels.

The new law sets seven-member boards. The council said that leaves out two of the nine districts.

It requires open meetings. Council members said that discussions of sensitive issues involving charges against officers sometimes needs to be private.

The law says the committee reviews decisions by the police chief involving charges against officers after the fact. The council said the current PARC had been working closely with the police chief and having helpful input on her decisions.

The new setup includes a new city employee - an executive director who will oversee police complaints. The executive director will not be a voting member of the board.

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