MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Morgantown Special Committee on Community Police Review and Advisory Board met to discuss comments received to the public. About eight letters were reviewed that were all in favor of the ordinance that will add the board in addition to the Police Civil Service Commission.
The stated purpose of the Citizens Police Review Board is to provide the public another avenue to file complaints about police misconduct, allow the public to learn more about police operations and improve trust and communications between the public and the department.
“Improving trust is really what I think this is all about, so whatever number we quantify it at we just want to make it better along with everything else,” Morgantown/Kingwood NAACP president Jerry Carr said,” I think having this board as a liaison between the community and the police department is good step forward.”
One of the letter writers had watched the arrest of a college student who had run into a police car while sledding down a street on campus during a recent snow storm. The writer told officials officers were arresting young people for sledding and compared the city of Morgantown to a “police state” because of actions like these.
Interim Morgantown police chief Eric Powell noted he had received the same correspondence and attempted to help that person understand what happened and why.
“I don’t think there’s communication problem- he sent me the email and I responded and explained it to him,” Powell said,” I don’t know that he accepted my explanation, he probably didn’t. We don’t shut people out, I don’t ignore people.”
Powell told committee members the majority of interaction with police involves a crime, an arrest or a citation of some kind. In those situations there is usually a party in the encounter that is not satisfied.
“Not every complaint is valid, and I think it’s a mistake to automatically assume that when somebody voices some complaint about the police that it’s a valid complaint,” Powell said,” And not question at all the motivation for filing the complaint in the first place.”
Chapter 8, Article 14 is the portion of state law that dictates how police are handled in the event of a dispute. It also clearly describes the composition of the Police Civil Service Commission that is the established review board for police actions.
In Morgantown, the three member board is made up of a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the city of Morgantown and the Chamber of Commerce.
“The process that we have in place right now that we are following is a pretty thorough process to begin with,” Powell said,” Adding to that process seems a little heavy handed and maybe excessive.”
Powell is quick to acknowledge that police misconduct is real and occurs in the state and nation. However, he contends they have established processes and no current allegations or investigations into suspected police misconduct.
“I think the problem here is there’s this undercurrent of disciplinary procedures and investigations,” Powell said,” And jumping to conclusions that when that person files a complaint that’s a sure indicator that there’s a sure problem within the police department.”
The next meeting will address correspondence for Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. That meeting is scheduled for April 12 at 3 p.m.