A Letter to Mayor Barry, Metro Council and Nashville citizens

Dear Mayor Barry, Metro Council Members and Nashville citizens,

Did you know that NOAH (Nashville Organized for Action and Hope) and Community Oversight Now have been working together on creating a Community Oversight Board (COB)?

Did you know that most other major U.S. cities have such boards?

Do you know what a Community Oversight Board is and why we need one?

Some history: The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has an internal investigatory group that explores citizen complaints, the Office of Professional Accountability, which rules against citizens over 98% of the time.  Many Nashvillians don't file complaints because they fear police power and possible harsh repercussions.

Only recently has the MNPD discarded training textbooks recommending aggressive action against citizens, especially those of color.  A report, “Driving While Black,” found that blacks are disproportionately targeted for police stops and searches.

An external group needs to police our police so that we don’t end up like cities who experience extreme violence following controversial police killings. Our Board will not end crime but if police are trained to handle citizens more fairly and decently, then less criminal activity may occur. When people don’t trust the police, they sometimes act out in violence.

This proposed Community Oversight Board (COB) calls for a new Metro agency governed by a community-representative board, staffed with professionals. The COB will investigate community allegations of police misconduct and conduct policy review for Davidson County’s Criminal Justice system. 



Most professions have an oversight board. Restaurants, health care providers, and even barbers have licensing boards that regulate and investigate allegations of unhealthy food or abuse, protecting the public.

When other major cities have created well-funded boards like COB, excellent results occur.  The Department of Justice after reviewing Nashville’s systems and a recent Grand Jury have both recommended a citizen’s advisory board so that police actions are better investigated.

Martin Luther King, Jr. recommended community oversight in the 1960’s. Nashville rose up in horror after Jocques Clemmons was killed by a police officer in Nashville on February 10, 2017. A 20-page report from the MNPD justified the officer’s behavior and no charges were filed. Many friends, teachers and family members have publicly shared their grief about this young man’s unnecessary death. Thankfully, protests have been nonviolent.

 

If a COB is created, neutral community citizens and staff will investigate and make recommendations about allegations of police brutality.  Mr. Clemmons might still be alive today if officers had more incentive to monitor their behaviors, if not for the common good then because they may be tried and convicted of crimes.  Police should not be given carte blanche to hurt our citizens.

Mayor Barry and Metro Council members, please pass this proposal to create better trust  in our police officers so they can better perform public safety duties and not prompt such fear and distrust. Help the MNPD treat all community members more fairly and justly.