The long-awaited ordinance creating a Civilian Review Board for the Elgin Police Department is being hailed as a historic move by some and criticized by others as not having enough oversight authority.
Approved by the Elgin City Council last week with a 7-2 vote, the ordinance sets the parameters for how the board will be appointed and operate and what its purpose and responsibilities should be. The concept was proposed by the city’s policing task force, a volunteer group that evaluated the police department and made suggestions for improvement.
The idea was discussed by the Elgin City Council last year but tabled over issues such as whether the board should have subpoena powers or a specific racial makeup and whether the board — or the police chief — would have the final say on disciplinary decisions.
Ultimately, it was decided the group would serve as a review board and not an investigative body, meaning it can’t subpoena people to testify. However, members will be given redacted police reports and police body cam footage to review when handling complaints.
As for the other issue, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling prohibits the city from designating a specific number of board members based on race and gender.
Under the ordinance, the police chief will have the final say in disciplinary actions, which is standard practice in many cities. Additionally, if a complaint turns into a criminal investigation, the review board must put a pause on its inquiry. That’s the same policy the police department follows when handling an administrative case, Police Chief Ana Lalley said.
Marcus Banner, a one-time member of the policing task force who later resigned, said he believes the group intended for the ordinance “to give power back to citizens,” which this does not do.
“This proposal is more of the same dog-and-pony show put in place since George Floyd,” Banner said, creating the illusion that something is being done about complaints against police but in truth having no ability to do anything about them.
Danise Habun, who also served on the task force, said the ordinance doesn’t follow all of the task force’s recommendations and there are things she’d like to have seen included, “however, that is the art of compromise.”
Council approval of a review board is a historic step in the right direction, she said, and will offer some “redress for past wrongs.”
“The wheels of creating new legislation on the local level move slowly, but at least this has moved forward,” Habun said.
Councilman Steve Thoren, who joined Councilwoman Rose Martinez in voting against the ordinance, said he has been opposed to the idea since it was proposed. He’s concerned it creates a negative perception of the police department, he said.
“A lot of people are thinking why (do) we need that? What’s wrong with the police department? There is a negative connotation it sends,” Thoren said. “I know I speak for many citizens.”
Councilwoman Tish Powell disagreed, noting the group serves a necessary purpose because not everyone’s experience with the police has been positive.
“For folks who don’t see why it’s needed, they probably have never been pulled over by the police or harassed,” Powell said. “They probably never felt they were treated unfairly by the police. They don’t have the same experiences other folks have in this community. That’s where a lot of this comes from.”
Powell said she sees the board as giving residents “some say in how they are being policed.”
“I think it makes sense. Is it perfect? No, it is not,” she said. But it’s a starting point, she said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
