Alexandria Council Endorses Community Police Review Board

ALEXANDRIA, VA — On Tuesday, City Council passed a resolution condemning systemic racism and directing the city manager to create a proposal for a community police review board. The proposal would come to City Council on Sept. 8.

Council Member Mo Seifeldein introduced the resolution after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a black man, in Minneapolis police custody. Seifeldein told City Council the resolution reaffirms commitments to addressing racial inequities and takes action to speed up that process.

"It's not an easy subject to talk about, but I think this community's capable of handling the discussion," said Seifeldein at Tuesday's virtual City Council meeting. "It has done so in the past and has committed to such racial justice and equity, and you can tell from that from the makeup of this [City Council]. So I think we really have an opportunity here to bring the community together and all stakeholders on this."

Mayor Justin Wilson questioned whether the role of the community police review board would intersect with the authority of the city's Human Rights Commission. The commission administers the provisions in the city's human rights ordinance and investigates complaints of discrimination.

Seifeldein said city staff can look at the role of the Human Rights Commission when preparing the proposal but believes an independent body with an exclusive focus on policing would be beneficial.

Council Member John T. Chapman noted the Human Rights Commission's broad focus on the human rights code and violations, not just on policing. He said the community review board is an opportunity for not only use of force cases but overall policing policy.

"Having a body that really just looks at policing and law enforcement and public safety I think is a really unique opportunity and one that we need to move on," said Chapman.

Council Member Canek Aguirre agreed with the proposal, saying he's heard the call for action from people at protests.

"Talk is cheap, and what people want to see is action," said Aguirre. "I think that as policymakers, it's imperative that we actually do take action."

City Manager Mark Jinks said preparing the proposal for City Council will involve looking at what works and doesn't work in other communities, authority under Virginia law, and coordination with the city's human rights office and police department on how to create the best process.

Police Chief Michael Brown said he supports oversight but that "a review board as it's phrased in our world in policing, has a very negative connotation."

The resolution also called for gathering data on demographics of police encounters and making a body-worn camera policy a priority in City Council's work plan. The Alexandria Police Department recently published an information page detailing the status of body-worn cameras and accountability to the community. The page states planning for the body-worn camera had been delayed due to the financial impacts of the pandemic, but the fiscal year 2021 budget funds a position to evaluate implementing the program. The city's capital improvement plan would add funding in fiscal year 2022 for equipment and software, although costs associated with a program would also require new funding and policy development.