MORGANTOWN — Based on comments offered Tuesday evening by members of Morgantown City Council, the Morgantown Police Department has the trust and backing of the city’s decision-making body.
While offering individual reports at the end of the regular council session, nearly every member said they understand and support the demonstrations that have risen in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of the Minneapolis Police.
They also said they appreciate the proactive leadership shown within the MPD, specifically by outgoing Chief Ed Preston, as well as the way the department has handled protests within the city in recent weeks.
“I have been heartened by the protests that have taken place in Morgantown … Folks on the street have my full support,” Deputy Mayor Rachel Fetty said, adding, “I also want to say that I’m profoundly grateful to Chief Preston and [Deputy Chief Eric Powell] for upholding what I believe are really critical values at this time.”
During her report to council, Interim City Manager Emily Muzzarelli outlined a number of ways “the Morgantown Police Department has been a leader in the state when it comes to training, code of conduct and review of use of force.”
“There have been many suggestions for reform and policies surrounding police departments. It was enlightening to find out that nearly all of those suggestions have already been in place in our department for many years,” Muzzarelli said.
She said the MPD was the first department in the state to take the non-mandatory step of providing use-of-force data to the FBI database.
Some other examples include
- Annual training in de-escalation and implicit biases
- The department’s classification of chokeholds as prohibited deadly force for control and restraint
- Prohibition of firing weapons at or from moving vehicles.
- Mandatory use of force reports for every incident with the understanding the one use of excessive force may be grounds for termination and/or prosecution
- The use and review of body camera and in-car camera video by all officers for every use-of-force incident
- The use of subject matter training experts for firearms, pepper spray and defensive tactics.
Even so, Muzzarelli said, the city plans to continue to look for ways in which policies, training and services can be improved, including by consulting with community leaders representing various groups within the city.
“I’m not saying Morgantown is immune. No community is. No community is. However, the Morgantown Police have made every effort to ensure racial injustice and tragedy does not happen here.”
It was noted that council has received more than 150 pieces of correspondence addressing the idea of defunding law enforcement, the overwhelming majority of which were form letters and emails, many of which were left unsigned.
“I would welcome conversation and figuring out what works in our community, but form emails don’t really help any situation,” Councilor Jenny Selin said.
The MPD has said it intends to be completely hands off protests within the city as long as they remain peaceful.
In other news from Tuesday’s meeting:
- Muzzarelli said a task force formed to address the homeless encampment off Pennsylvania Avenue has been successful in getting seven people into housing thus far.
- Council approved contracting with Blue Gold Development for $24,349 to raze a burned house at 485 Forest Avenue.
- Muzzarelli said conversation circulating about the possible removal of the Don Knotts statue downtown is “fake news.”
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