Crime

Will the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners Become Obsolete?

November 18, 2014, 11:43 AM

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The new Detroit Police cars.

The Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, a panel of citizens who are supposed to monitor the Detroit Police Department's activities,  could become obsolete in wake of Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr's departure, critics fear, according to the Detroit News.

The question is: How many people will care?

George Hunter of the Detroit News writes:

Although most of city government is slowly returning to normal with Orr's contract set to end sometime around Thanksgiving, the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners will remain essentially powerless for at least a year, the board's chairman said.

"This is especially troubling, given the recent events that have unfolded in Ferguson, and the need to make sure police departments are being held accountable to citizens," board Chairman Willie Bell said of events developing in Missouri.

Orr's Emergency Order 42, issued in late September, transitioned power over the police department from Orr's office to Mayor Mike Duggan — which, Bell said, takes control away from citizens. The order is in effect for at least a year, and the Detroit City Council can then decide whether to vote to rescind it.


Read more:  Detroit News


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