MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The subcommittee working on the formation of a new Morgantown Community Policing and Citizens Review Board is scheduled to meet again Monday afternoon.
Deputy Mayor Rachel Fetty said she supported creating the board after recent national events. She said it’s designed to increase transparency within the Morgantown Police Department.
“We wanted to show our support for members of our community who might feel disenfranchised, or hurt or emotionally distressed by the truly painful things that are happening across our country,” she explained.
The subcommittee has been meeting since August to develop an establishing ordinance for such a review board.
Interim Police Chief Eric Powell initially supported the formation of the board over the summer but backed away after members were reluctant to include a police member on a committee overseeing allegations of police misconduct. The committee holds hearings and conducts independent investigations, and city officials would receive a report detailing recommended actions.
“A resident can come and say I’ve had this difficult experience and I would like the city to fix it or I would like this officer’s actions to be reviewed,” Fetty said.
While there have not been allegations against Morgantown police officers, the board should be prepared, Fetty said.
“I think part of our job as policymakers is to look into an unknown future and make the best policy you can based on the social forces you see gathering around you,” she said.
State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and the Fraternal Order of Police have asked for the council to remain within state code providing employment protections to police officers, as they are not allowed to unionize or strike.
The subcommittee meets every Monday at 3 p.m.