Joliet police review board delayed for more review

The latest proposal for a citizens police review board for the police department was tabled after advocates objected to a new limit on the board’s ability to consider past conduct of police officers.

The Joliet City Council Land Use and Legislative Committee since February has been reviewing proposals for a citizens board that would review or advise the police department. The latest version was altered again before the committee met Wednesday.

The proposed name for the board was changed from Citizen Review Board to Citizen Advisory Board.

Another last-minute revision makes it possible to remove board members who make unauthorized public statements or contact with the media.

But discussion Tuesday focused on an add-on that limits the scope of board review of an internal police investigation to documents related “to the matter at issue and shall not involve any past conduct of an officer.”

“Every past infraction of that officer should definitely be taken into consideration,” said Karl Ferrell, an advocate for the creation of the review board. “That doesn’t work on any level.”

Ferrell and other advocates called for a vote on the proposed board to be tabled.

“We would like to have a chance to speak to the chief before you pass this,” Ferrell said.

Police Chief Dawn Malec was not at the meeting, which Councilwoman Jan Quillman said was a reason to table the vote.

“I would like to have the police chief here and her administration,” Quillman said. “They need to be here if we’re going to address this.”

Committee Chairman Terry Morris defended the provision against review of past conduct.

But Morris questioned parts of the latest proposal that referred to the board reporting to the mayor and the police chief.

“I thought the council should be kept more in the loop of what’s going on,” he said.

Christine Bright with the Will County Progressives, which has played a lead role in the push for a citizens review board, said another committee including citizen members should be created to take an in-depth look at the proposed structure of the board and its rules.

“The board must have authority,” Bright said. “It must have authority to accomplish its goals.”

The board, which at one time was proposed as having subpoena powers to be used to question witnesses, is limited in the latest proposal to reviews of completed investigations by the police department.

Councilman Herb Lande, who wants the board created before he leaves the council in May, called the latest proposal “good for an honest assessment where the citizens are going to get involved.”

Lande said he was ready to pass the latest proposal to the full City Council but later agreed to table it for more review.