The Lawrence Community Police Review Board is moving forward on changes to strengthen oversight of complaints against police and to ensure that more information about complaints is available to the public. As part of its meeting Wednesday, the board voted unanimously to advance the draft of a new ordinance laying out the board’s powers for a final legal review with city attorneys. A division of the police department, the Office of Professional Accountability, decides what constitutes a complaint and conducts the investigation, and board members agreed that it was critical for the board to be able to request an independent investigation if the board disagrees with the conclusion of the police department’s investigation.
Source: LJWorld.com.