With the new state-appointed board now running the city’s police department, civilian review of complaints against St. Louis officers could potentially be on its way out—as the State Board’s lawyer suggests they are in effect the civilian overseers.
Last week’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting got contentious after it became clear that the board didn’t intend to defer to Mayor Cara Spencer or other city officials on its total budget. Its spending could mean another $72 million beyond what the city had budgeted.
But flying under the radar at the same meeting was Spencer’s attempt to submit a list of names for appointment to a new Civilian Oversight Board. The previous group of St. Louisans tasked with reviewing complaints against officers was disbanded after the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department returned from local control to the control of a governor-appointed board. Many city officials thought that was temporary, one step on the path to appointing a new oversight board in line with the department’s new administrative structure…