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Community leader seeking civilian review board revival after a year of inactivity

Community leader seeking civilian review board revival after a year of inactivity
REACTION TONIGHT OVER THE LACK OF PROGRESS BY BIRMINGHAM’S CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD ESTABLISHED IN 2021, IT WAS CREATED TO HOLD POLICE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. WVTM 13. ERIN LLEWELLYN JOINS US LIVE WITH COMMENTS FROM THE MAYOR AND ONE COMMUNITY ACTIVIST WHO’S DISAPPEARED POINTED WITH THE OUTCOME. GUYS, SHARE YOU, THE CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD WAS CREATED NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO AND SINCE THEN THE BOARD HAS MET ONCE. BUT ONE COMMUNITY LEADER SAYS THAT’S NOT ENOUGH AND IS CALLING FOR BETTER POLICY PLAGUED. THE KILLINGS WILL NOT STOP WITH TERRY NICHOLS. IT DIDN’T STOP WITH GEORGE FLOYD. IT DIDN’T STOP WITH TRAYVON MARTIN. ONE COMMUNITY LEADER CALLING FOR AN OVERHAUL OF THE CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD IN BIRMINGHAM. THE BOARD CREATED BY MAYOR RANDALL WOODFIN IN APRIL 20, 21, IN RESPONSE TO GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH AT THE HANDS OF POLICE. I THINK THAT THAT WAS MORE SO JUST TO A PERFORMATIVE MEASURE TAKEN TO CALM THE PEOPLE, AND THERE WAS REALLY NO TRUE INTENT. ERIC HALL WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER. BIRMINGHAM SAYS HE AND OTHERS CALLED FOR A CITIZEN’S REVIEW BOARD AS EARLY AS 2016 AND SINCE THE BOARD WAS CREATED NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO, THERE’S BEEN LIVES TAKEN BY POLICE. THERE HAVE BEEN DEMANDS FOR TRANSPARENCY AND POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY. THIS IS ANNOUNCEMENT AND I FIND IT VERY DISRESPECTFUL. THE FACT THAT HE BROUGHT FORTH THE FAMILY MEMBERS OF BENITA CARTER, WHO WAS KILLED BY BIRMINGHAM POLICE YEARS AGO. THE MAYOR ADMITS THE CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD IS SOMETHING THE CITY HASN’T PERFECTED. BUT GETTING THE BOARD OFF THE GROUND IS A PRIORITY. THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE HAVEN’T FULLY GOTTEN RIGHT YET. AND WE GOT TO WE HAD OUR NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THERE. SOMEBODY HAD TO RESIGN AND PULL OUT AND WE JUST HADN’T GOTTEN OUR CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD OFF THE GROUND. THE WAY OUR CITIZENS DESERVE. THE ONE FIVE MEMBER BOARD INCLUDED A PASTOR, AN ACTIVIST, A FORMER POLICE CHIEF, A DEFENSE ATTORNEY, AND A FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SELECTED BY THE MAYOR. BUT HALL BELIEVES THE MAYOR NEEDS TO BE LESS ACTIVE WITH THE BOARD. THERE NEEDS TO BE A TRUCE. CIVILIAN REVIEW BOARD. THAT’S APPOINTED BY THE PEOPLE AND THE PEOPLE HAVE SOME AUTHORITY AS IT RELATES TO HOLDING POLICE OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE. NOW, THE MAYOR SAYS HE WILL BE BACK WITH AN UPDATE ON WHERE THE CITY IS WITH THE BOARD, BUT THERE IS NO WORD ON WHEN THAT WILL BE.
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Community leader seeking civilian review board revival after a year of inactivity
The city of Birmingham’s Civilian Review Board became a topic of discussion on Tuesday after the misconduct of police in the deadly beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis.The board was created in 2021 to hold police accountable for their actions, and Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin was asked about the status of the board during a press conference.The board has met at least once since then, but one community leader said that's not enough and is calling for better policies."The killings will not stop with Tyre Nichols. It didn't stop with George Floyd," said Eric Hall, of Black Lives Matter Birmingham. "It didn't stop with Trayvon Martin."Hall called for an overhaul of the Civilian Review Board. The board was created by Woodfin in April 2021 in response to George Floyd’s death at the hands of police."I think that that was more so just a performative measure taken to calm the people, and there was really no true intent," Hall said.Hall said he and others called for a civilian review board as early as 2016. Since the review board was created nearly two years ago, there's been lives taken by police. "There has been demand for transparency and police accountability since his announcement," Hall said. "I find it very disrespectful the fact that he brought forth the family members of Benita Carter, who was killed by Birmingham police years ago, which of course was a part of the Civil Rights Movement, it brought forth real change in the city of Birmingham."The mayor admits the civilian review board is something the city hasn't perfected, but he said getting the board back up and running is a priority."This is an area we haven't fully gotten right yet," Woodfin said. "We've got to. We had a number of people on there. Somebody had to resign and pull out. We just haven't gotten our civilian review board off the ground the way our citizens deserve. "The once five-member board included a pastor, an activist, a former police chief, a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor all selected by the mayor. Hall believes the mayor should be less active in the board's selection process."It needs to be a true civilian review board that's appointed by the people and the people have some authority as it relates to holding police officers accountable," Hall said.The mayor said he plans to come back with an update on where the city is with the review board. He did not give a timeline for when to expect that update.

The city of Birmingham’s Civilian Review Board became a topic of discussion on Tuesday after the misconduct of police in the deadly beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis.

The board was created in 2021 to hold police accountable for their actions, and Birmingham mayor Randall Woodfin was asked about the status of the board during a press conference.

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The board has met at least once since then, but one community leader said that's not enough and is calling for better policies.

"The killings will not stop with Tyre Nichols. It didn't stop with George Floyd," said Eric Hall, of Black Lives Matter Birmingham. "It didn't stop with Trayvon Martin."

Hall called for an overhaul of the Civilian Review Board. The board was created by Woodfin in April 2021 in response to George Floyd’s death at the hands of police.

"I think that that was more so just a performative measure taken to calm the people, and there was really no true intent," Hall said.

Hall said he and others called for a civilian review board as early as 2016. Since the review board was created nearly two years ago, there's been lives taken by police.

"There has been demand for transparency and police accountability since his announcement," Hall said. "I find it very disrespectful the fact that he brought forth the family members of Benita Carter, who was killed by Birmingham police years ago, which of course was a part of the Civil Rights Movement, it brought forth real change in the city of Birmingham."

The mayor admits the civilian review board is something the city hasn't perfected, but he said getting the board back up and running is a priority.

"This is an area we haven't fully gotten right yet," Woodfin said. "We've got to. We had a number of people on there. Somebody had to resign and pull out. We just haven't gotten our civilian review board off the ground the way our citizens deserve. "

The once five-member board included a pastor, an activist, a former police chief, a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor all selected by the mayor. Hall believes the mayor should be less active in the board's selection process.

"It needs to be a true civilian review board that's appointed by the people and the people have some authority as it relates to holding police officers accountable," Hall said.

The mayor said he plans to come back with an update on where the city is with the review board. He did not give a timeline for when to expect that update.