Des Moines Police Chief Says Current Community Review Board Is Working

The Des Moines Police Chief says his department already has a community review board to keep the department in check.

This comes after a call from many in the community to create an independent review board. Police Chief Dana Wingert tells WHO-TV the current review process works very well.

“We have a very thorough process for reviewing police complaints and there is a citizen component to that. We also have the city manager, the city legal department and the civil and human rights director also review all those complaints," Wingert tells WHO-TV 13. "We have a civil service component that is a very diverse commission made up of the citizens appointed by the mayor and affirmed by the city council. They have authority over discipline, hiring, firing and promotions. So there is already a citizen component in there," he says.

The Community Alliance, which consists of the ACLU of, NAACP of Iowa-Nebraska and Iowa CCI, says the current review process does not offer enough transparency. They want to establish a community review board to provide more accountability. 

Russell Lovell with the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP says some of the responsibilities of a community review board would allow for a continued dialogue with police and community representatives about biased policing.

Lovell says the board would collect and analyze data to facilitate a discussion of best police practices to prevent racial profiling.

(Photo: WHO-TV 13)


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