by Dr. Jerry Carr Jr.
Civilian Police Review and Advisory (CPRA) Boards benefit not only an individual community member, but also the larger community, police departments and even elected or appointed officials. Members of the Morgantown community can use the Morgantown CPRA Board to voice concerns outside of the law enforcement agency. The Morgantown Police Department can use CPRA Boards as a tool to improve discipline, community response and future training. Elected and appointed officials can use CPRA Boards to demonstrate the City of Morgantown’s commitment to equitable policing and civic engagement and reduce risk to community members, the City of Morgantown and the MPD.
By establishing an oversight system, the City of Morgantown can demonstrate that increased police accountability and the need to prevent and eliminate police misconduct are public safety priorities for the city. A review board provides an avenue for individuals to seek redress for misconduct that would otherwise go unaddressed.
The Morgantown CPRA Board can:
- improve community relations by fostering communication between the community and the police department.
- reduce public concern about high-profile incidents by having a process in place to address them.
- increase the public’s understanding of law enforcement policies and procedures.
- collect and publish statistical data relating to the operations of the Morgantown Police Department. This data can improve transparency, communication and public policy.
- improve the quality of the Morgantown Police Department’s internal investigations of alleged misconduct.
- improve Morgantown Police Department policies and procedures. Policy recommendations proposed by the Morgantown CPRA Board can prevent issues by identifying areas of concern and proposing options to improve community policing.
- assist the City of Morgantown and the MPD in liability management and reduce the likelihood of costly litigation by identifying problems and proposing corrective measures before a lawsuit is filed.
- support the City of Morgantown’s Strategic Plan for 2020-22, particularly the goal of creating a “Welcoming and Inclusive Community.” Morgantown has committed to “encourage all residents to participate fully in the social, cultural, governmental and economic life in the region, without discrimination” and “support community efforts on race and social justice.” Most directly, the city had a goal in 2020 to “facilitate the creation of a Citizen Police Review Board that works in close collaboration with the Morgantown Police Department.”
The Morgantown CPRA Board’s oversight process can hold the Morgantown Police Department accountable for officers’ actions, and when the board confirms a complainant’s allegation, the complainant may feel validated. Conversely, when the board exonerates an officer, the officer may feel vindicated.
The community is reassured that discipline is imposed when appropriate while also increasing the transparency of the disciplinary process.
Mediation has benefits to both citizens and police officers. If the Morgantown CPRA Board provides mediated solutions, members of the Morgantown community can feel satisfied they are able to express their concerns to the specific police officer in a neutral environment. Mediation can also better inform Morgantown police officers how their words, behaviors and attitudes can affect public perceptions.
All of these potential benefits support the goals of community-oriented policing, which seeks to utilize problem-solving techniques by working in a cooperative effort with the community to proactively address concerns.
One of our goals is to continue this conversation with the community. We will be holding virtual conversations with local churches and hopefully a townhall over the next few weeks. There will be an executive presentation during this week’s city council meeting, where we will also talk about the ordinance that has been developed. I implore you to reach out and speak with us directly or through any of these formats if you have any questions, comments or concerns.
Dr. Jerry Carr Jr. is the president of the Morgantown/Kingwood Branch of the NAACP.
