The Citizens Police Review Board voted Wednesday to add a provision to its ordinance that would allow it to hear testimony and make decisions behind closed doors.
The board discussed various options for allowing itself to operate in closed sessions for hearing and deliberation in order to protect complainants who are hesitant to appear in a public setting. Rex Campbell, co-chairman of the review board’s founding organization, the Citizen Oversight Committee, spoke in defense of executive sessions.
“Every other community I’ve looked at had some kind of provision of confidentiality,” Campbell said. “I don’t think we recognized the need to protect both individuals in the complaint, the officer and the citizen. That was an oversight on my part.”
Board member Betty Wilson said she disagreed with closing sessions to the public because she doesn’t feel the board understands the ramifications of doing so.
“I’m not convinced there’s a widespread community feeling of intimidation when appearing before us,” Wilson said. “There’s no data to show that, and I think it’s a dangerous precedent to set.”
After discussion, the board voted to pass a confidentiality provision with the additional requirement of a two-thirds vote to enter closed session. The provision will be presented at the next Columbia City Council meeting for approval.
The board also voted unanimously to accept the police chief’s recommendation in two complaints, including an allegation of excessive force involving Taser use on a mentally ill man.
Several board members said they felt this case could not move forward without the testimony of the two eyewitnesses, both of which were not present.
“No one here has voiced any disagreement with the police procedures and policies,” review board member Carroll Highbarger said. “Without hearing from these two witnesses, I feel we have to accept the police report.”
Columbia Police Chief Ken Burton said he also disagreed with this complaint being an issue of misconduct.
“This is a debate on Taser use,” Burton said. “The issue has already been decided by the voters. The voters decided it’s a suitable weapon for us to have in our arsenal in the city of Columbia.”
Board member Susan Smith said since the board is limited to looking at police procedure when reviewing a case, a general policy hearing would be a better forum for discussing Taser use.
“I think it would be more appropriate to have a hearing on Taser use, since that’s what most of the concern is,” Smith said. “We should look at this issue in a general sense, not specifically within this case.”
Local attorney Dan Viets, as well as four other Columbia residents, spoke before the board about the dangers of carrying out SWAT raids on non-violent criminals.
“I’ve heard people tell the same story time and time again,” Viets said. “Families are terrorized. Battering rams, concussion grenades and sub-machine guns are not unusual in this ongoing drug war.”
Burton said because of new department policies and precautions there have been no dynamic search warrants served in Columbia this year.
“As long as I’m police chief, we’ll make sure we have our ducks in a row before we run a dynamic search warrant,” Burton said. “While I applaud this group’s passion for what they believe in, I don’t think it’s something for the review board to worry about.”