City leaders have voted to create a new community police review board, but discussion regarding limits on the board’s access to police files and recordings may not be over.
At its meeting Tuesday, the Lawrence City Commission voted 4-1, with Commissioner Matthew Herbert in opposition, to create the new board. The vote came after the commission reviewed changes made by city attorneys to the ordinance establishing the new board. Commissioners previously delayed approving the ordinance because of concerns that it would have allowed the city to deny or limit the board’s access to the police investigation files and recordings. Assistant City Attorney Maria Garcia told the commission that maintaining the city’s ability to make redactions to investigative files and potentially withhold recordings was important in order to protect the city from liability. Garcia emphasized the importance of provisions that allow the city to decide on redactions on a case-by-case basis and that provide examples of information that could potentially be redacted — such as criminal history, medical records and information pertaining to victims of domestic violence or sex crimes — but that do not limit the city to the list.
(Read more: LJWorld.com stories: Local news)