A proposal making its way through the General Assembly would give citizen review boards the power to subpoena witnesses and compel the production of evidence as they investigate police misconduct.
Currently, the citizen review boards in many towns across the state only have the power to review the documents provided through internal investigations of law enforcement officers. This creates an obvious conflict of interest because it prohibits these investigating bodies from seeking out additional information.
House Bill 193 would also give these review boards access to the personnel files of the police officers in question and any other material deemed necessary to complete the investigation. The proposal empowers communities across North Carolina to investigate complaints against law enforcement officers outside the scope of the police department’s own internal investigation.
The proposal also mandates that the findings and decisions of all citizen review boards be public records — meaning residents would have more insight into the goings-on in their police departments.
This academic year, people have spoken through riots and protests associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. They have demanded more transparency from their governments and more oversight of their police departments. Lawmakers in North Carolina should heed these demands.
Transparency and oversight are not partisan issues. Legislators from both sides of the aisle should support this bill, which would give constituents the power to dutifully investigate instances of police misconduct.
