Citizen Review Board

[dkiefner]

Lifted from APB News
>>>SAN DIEGO (APBnews.com) - A citizens' review panel has cleared two San Diego police officers in the widely publicized shooting death of a black former professional football player.
The panel has also called for more use of nonlethal weapons and suggested the officers could have made better decisions in the heat of the moment.<<<

Don't have any of these boards in this neck of the woods. Does anybody work where there is such an animal? What are everyone's feelings on the subject?

It's nice that the officers were "cleared", but I see some real potential for abuse in something like this, or at least some de facto dictation of policy in how and what a department will enforce.

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Dave Kiefner
[i]Die Wahrheit ist eine Perle. Werfen sie nicht vor die S

[Traffic Dog]

Its always easy to criticize and evaluate an LEO's actions days after the event took place and the panel has hours to evaluate the call.
We(LEO) have a split second to make a decision which may result in someone getting hurt or injured.
Its kind of ironic the review board who evaluates our actions have never been trained in this line of work, and have never been in a similar situation. But they will judge us.
Stay safe.

[THE BRONZE]

Our city is currently debating the issue of having a review board for the third time in about ten years. Recent polls have shown 63% of the city's residents don't want one, but the opposition is very vocal. The city council was supposed to vote on this matter several weeks ago, and put it off at the last minute to let everyone speak later in community meetings.

My captain shot and killed a man in 84 and went through all kinds of political hell, not to mention the recovery from his own gun-shot wounds. He said we shouldn't be afraid of a review board. I'm not afraid of the B.S. standards they are proposing if it should go through. I'll continue to answer to federal and state laws. I am afraid of what it can do to the moral and effectiveness of the department.

[JKT]

It is a scary thought that a review board of non-Law Enforcement could sit in judgement of Officers' actions. Most citizens don't have any idea, other than what they see on TV of what Officers really do.

Just my thoughts http://www.officer.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Good luck and be safe

Jack

[David]

Just a suggestion...
Invite the members of the review board, individually, to ride one friday or saturday night with a officer, after signing a waiver of injury form should something happen to them during the shift, of course. If they won't ride, they can't serve in that capacity on the board...what do you think?
Do you feel they would better appreciate what we go through?
Would they enjoy the feel of adrinalin pumping thru their veins as a 100+/-mph chase is being delt with in traffic?
Or how about the urge to pee when you check a closed business, in the middle of the night, by making sure the door is locked, but it isn't.
Make these a qualifing requirement and see how many of the citizens would show up at rollcall?
I know, I know...wishfull thinking, but there is no harm done if someone, in the department, should write the suggestion up and send it to the forum deciding what 'should' have been done.
Just a suggestion http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Niteshift]

I've never really understood the concept....

Lawyers are reviewed by a board made up of lawyers. So are doctors and judges. Heck, even the guy who inspects the wiring at a construction site has to have a certain level of expertise.

Then again, every night I'm reminded that everyone knows how to do my job.

[dkiefner]

LOL Niteshift. I hear ya.

Good idea David. i think one would need a certain appreciation for the job in order to sit in judgement of those doing it.

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Dave Kiefner
[i]Die Wahrheit ist eine Perle. Werfen sie nicht vor die S

[Niteshift]

A certain appreciation?

I appreciate having a microwave oven, but don't ask me to build or repair one because I don't understand how it works.

Simply ask yourself this.....after however many weeks your academy was, what was your idea of how LE was. Now, after having done it for sometime, do you have the same picture? Probably not. Even after the academy, you didn't REALLY know what being a cop was all about. And these yahoo's will sit in judgement of whether or not I did my job right?

[dkiefner]

I hear you, Niteshift, and I did not mean to imply that it would be the same as being on the Job.
Rather, I meant appreciation in the sense that someone should have an inkling of the daily issues faced by LEO's. Wouldn't you agree that if such a panel were coming to your town, then it would be better than someone who was entirely clueless?
Stay safe.

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Dave Kiefner
[i]Die Wahrheit ist eine Perle. Werfen sie nicht vor die S

[Niteshift]

Early this year, our city started a Citizen's Advisory Committee http://www.officer.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

What a bunch of weiners. They wanted to re-invent the wheel. They did not have a single clue. What ticked me off the most was that none of the members were actually residents of the city, they just worked inside the city. It took 1 meeting to see that this was going to be a dismal failure. I pushed to add a lot of members to get a balanced perspective. Fortunately, we've not had another meeting and we're not bringing the subject up.

[Don]

Lets face it guys and gals. Citizen review boards are created by politicians to take the heat off of themselves. If you don't have a vocal group, usually a minority, raising he** with the politicians, they have no reason to create a review board.

But when these groups make noise, all the politicians have to do is point to the review board so that people can see how "liberal and progressive" they area.

Sure hope they make the review board members go through a back ground check that will eliminate them if they are convicted felons! http://www.officer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

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Stay safe out there,
6P1 (retired)