Supervisors question proposal for civilian review panel for Fairfax police
|
Version 0 of 1. A recommendation to create a civilian panel for reviewing complaints about the Fairfax County Police Department was questioned by county supervisors Tuesday, foreshadowing what will probably be a contentious debate over aspects of a package of broad police changes. The questions came as the supervisors accepted the final report of a commission created to review the police department’s practices after an officer-involved shooting of a Springfield man in 2013. Supervisors will spend the coming months on the politically prickly task of deciding which of the dozens of recommendations on use of force, transparency, training and accountability to accept, discard or modify. [Panel recommends broad changes to police practices in Fairfax County] Supervisors indicated that among the most contentious proposals from the Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission is the addition of a seven-member citizen review panel that would review complaints of police misconduct and abuse of authority. Supervisor Gerald W. Hyland (D-Mount Vernon) said Tuesday that such a group might not be needed, because there have been only a “few” cases of questionable conduct by Fairfax County officers. “Clearly, the majority of people I represent have had a positive interaction with police,” Hyland said. The Ad Hoc commission recommended that the civilian panel exclude current and former Fairfax County employees to ensure its independence. But Supervisor Jeff C. McKay (D-Lee) asked why the commission recommended the exclusions from the civilian panel, given that current and former Fairfax County employees had provided valuable guidance on other topics, he said. The chairman of the Ad Hoc commission, Michael Hershman, implored the board to accept the proposal for the civilian review panel, saying it was necessary to maintain trust between county residents and police. “I don’t understand the debate about civilian review,” Hershman said at a news conference after the board meeting. “Our military is headed by a civilian. The chief of police here in Fairfax County is chosen by a civilian. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors — all of whom are civilians — oversee the police department and negotiate a budget for the department. We’re not re-creating the wheel here.” Hershman’s commission also suggested that the department take a more open posture in releasing information, create special teams to deal with the mentally ill, take a more measured approach in using force and establish an independent auditor to oversee police use-of-force investigations. The panel was created in March, after a public outcry in Fairfax County over the death of John Geer. Geer was unarmed when he was shot by Officer Adam D. Torres after a standoff at Geer’s home. The investigation that followed stretched on for more than a year, with little information being released from the Fairfax County Police Department. Torres eventually was indicted in the shooting, and he is scheduled to be tried for murder in December. The Board of Supervisors Public Safety Committee will continue work on the recommendations at its Tuesday meeting. |