The New Britain City Council’s Ad-Hoc Committee will hold a second meeting tonight, June 23, 2020, to consider the establishment of a community review board for the police.
The meeting is to be at 7:00pm via teleconference.
The agenda of the meeting calls for, “discussion with community partners regarding the feasibility of establishing a ‘citizen review board’ for the New Britain Police.
The meeting is to have a session for public participation. The call-in number is 1 (855) 369-0463 and the access code is 11303366#.
A video stream of the meeting is to be at http://newbritainct.gov/gov/common_council/agenda_minutes_live_stream_n_video.htm.
A citizen or community review board is a board consisting for community members that has the power to review actions of the police, investigate allegations of police misconduct and even set policy for the police.
The concept has been a common proposal for one of the new policies demanded by people who have organized massive protests nationwide, including in New Britain, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. The killing of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, other African Americans and, most recently, Rayshard Brooks, have sparked vigorous protests against ongoing racism and racist violence in the nation.
Perhaps two thousand people marched through the streets of New Britain on Sunday, May 31st, 2020, in an historic protest for change in society and an end racist inequality and violence. Protests and activism in the city have continued since, while activists are pressing for reforms against racism and inequality.
