Civilian Review Boards

The article Civilian Review Boards ' describes a process in many parts of the country where the citizens of the area can review police actions and assign fault based on a review of the case . The thesis of this article is that citizen review boards have not been proven effective - while the board improves community relations , civilians do not have the expertise to make decisions on police procedure

In to become a law enforcement officer , a candidate must endure hundreds , if not thousands of hours of training - both in the classroom and in

the field . Training is ongoing , and police officers must participate in training throughout their careers . Civilians , of course , do not have this training and can only review a case based on the case itself rather than established police procedure . It is hardly a surprise that police officers would be opposed to this process . The review board is appraising situations in hindsight rather than in the moment in which events occur

A civilian review board is crucial in ensuring that the rights of the citizens are protected . This process can work , provided that the police officers and the civilians work together . First of all , the review board should draw equally from the citizens and from the police force . When a meeting is to be called , it should be done so in the same way that a grand jury is convened . In addition , it should be established that only the most serious cases are reviewed by the board . Otherwise...