The Morgantown Civilian Police Review and Advisory Board is looking into conducting a community survey, expected to cost around $10,000 to complete. The purpose, according to the review board, is to get a better idea of how the whole community — not just specific stakeholders or groups — perceive policing in Morgantown. That would include members of the police department itself.
We have no problem with the idea of the survey. In fact, we think it’s a good idea to take the temperature of the broader community and to get feedback from people who wouldn’t normally show up to a review board meeting.
Our question, however, is this: What is the end goal?
The board can review specific cases and policies, but it cannot implement or enforce any new procedures or standards. It can introduce proposals, and we can see how a community survey may inform that endeavor, but the board cannot do anything beyond make suggestions; it has no authority to put its proposals into practice.
This seems like an expensive project that has the potential to go nowhere — which would be a shame, but could be reality all the same. Would this be a task better undertaken by an entity with more power to put such proposals into action? For example, as an official project of the City of Morgantown, or under the authority of the city manager?
Regardless, if the survey does commence as currently intended, we will be curious to see its results.
