Birmingham Sets Up Civilian Board to Review Police Misconduct
Mayor Randall Woodfin announced Monday morning the creation of a Civilian Review Board to investigate claims of misconduct by the Birmingham Police Department.
The five-member board will have the authority to investigate citizen complaints and will have some subpoena powers to aid those investigations, Woodfin said. The board will not have purview over complaints referred to the District Attorney’s Office, the Jefferson County Personnel Board or the BPD’s Internal Affairs Division.
After a 30-day investigation, the board will submit its findings and recommendations to the police chief.
The concept of the Civilian Review Board was developed by the city’s Public Safety Task Force.
The announcement comes after several incidents of police-involved shootings in Birmingham, including the Jan. 21 death of Euli Malik Kater Jr. and the April 4 death of Desmon Montez Ray Jr.
Woodfin, however, placed the creation of the board within a broader, national context.
“Today, as we stand here, one year removed from the worldwide outrage over the death of George Floyd, and currently with names like Adam Toledo and Daunte Wright weighing so heavily over our minds and our souls, we know what we must do,” he said.
Woodfin said the idea behind creating the board was to “build immediate trust with the citizens we serve.” He said the board would provide “a very authentic community voice to policing in our city.”
“This task force puts moms and dads, faith leaders and community activists, young professionals and more at the same table as our police force,” he said.
The five-member board will include the Rev. Lawrence Conoway, activist T. Marie King, former BPD Chief Annetta Nunn, lawyer Victor Revill and former U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance. Revill and Vance both are also members of the Public Safety Task Force.
The board will begin accepting public complaints in early July.
Louisiana police chiefs charged in immigrant visa fraud scheme
Three current and former police chiefs, a marshal and a business owner were charged with falsifying police reports in a years-long visa scheme in Louisiana.
Settlement reached in investors’ lawsuit against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other company leaders
A settlement has been reached in a class action investors' lawsuit against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company leaders over claims stemming from the privacy scandal involving Cambridge Analytica.
Senate panel to vote on federal judge nomination for Emil Bove, who defended Trump
The vote comes as scores of former DOJ lawyers and retired state and federal court judges say they fear his intense loyalty to the president would carry over onto the bench.
A ‘Crypto Week’ win: Congress passes 1st major crypto legislation in the U.S.
It was a remarkable win for the crypto industry — and for President Trump, who campaigned on making the country "the crypto capital of the planet."
How did Condé Nast go from dominance to decline? A new book explains
For decades, Condé Nast publications such as Vogue and Vanity Fair were consequential tastemakers. Writer Michael Grynbaum explores the heyday of these magazines and how they lost their footing.
1960s pop star Connie Francis has died. The singer’s life was touched by tragedies
1960s pop star Connie Francis has died. The first female singer to chart a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, she sold over 40 million records before the age of 25.