Following today’s announcement by Mayor John Cooper as it relates to the creation of Metro Nashville’s Policing Policy Commission (PPC), the Community Oversight Board’s (COB) Chair, Ashlee Davis, says it is a step in the right direction for progress. However, there still remains an immense amount of work to be done in order to ensure the success of the Commission.
“As Chair of the Community Oversight Board, I feel it is my responsibility to accept the invitation to join the Mayor’s Commission,” states Davis. “But that acceptance comes with a very clear statement that not only should this Commission sit within the Community Oversight Board, but at the very least, it should be Chaired by a member of this Board.”
The people of Nashville voted to empower the Community Oversight Board to review and oversee the policies and actions of Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD), and since its inception, the Board has had an intentional focus on giving a voice to those whose voices have gone unheard and have been marginalized within the Nashville community. The Board’s staff consists of research analysts who have already assessed specific Police policies, conducted research, obtained public comment and issued multiple policy advisory reports; and for those reasons, the Board is uniquely positioned to lead the review of use-of-force policies within the Police Department.
The Metro Nashville Community Oversight (MNCO) is currently working on an independent evaluation of Police use of force policy and practices. One component of this evaluation is an audit of use of force records. Metro Nashville Community Oversight has received the requested reports for all adults, and fourteen use of force reports related to cases with juveniles are still pending approval.
The Policing Policy Commission has a wide scope that will assess many aspects of policing in Nashville. While the Board and Metro Nashville Community Oversight have the ability to assess policy, conduct research, and issue policy recommendations on all of the topics the Policing Policy Commission will address, issuing policy advisory reports on each aspect would be the culmination of years of research. Metro Nashville Community Oversight’s Executive Director Jill Fitcheard and Lead Research Analyst Dr. Peter Vielehr have had several meetings with John Buntin and Eric Brown to discuss the scope and framing of the Commission. The Mayor’s Office asked Metro Nashville Community Oversight to review Police policies and procedures, compare them to national best practices, and present those findings to the Commission.
While optimistic about Mayor Cooper’s creation of the Commission, Davis believes that the current composition of the Committee as a 40-person entity makes reaching a general consensus difficult. To this end, she recommends that an Executive Policing Policy Commission be formed constituted of eight members of the announced Commission.
Davis also expresses that it is critical all meetings convened by the Commission be public noticed and livestreamed so that the Nashville community is able to participate, and she also strongly encourages the addition of a member of Nashville’s transgender community to ensure their unique experiences are heard.
The Community Oversight Board has always welcomed collaboration and open dialogue in regard to the public safety of Nashville and hopes that all parties involved can work together towards solutions that will benefit the entire Nashville community.