DeKalb Times

City of Dekalb Citizen Police Review Board met Sept. 19.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Citizen Police Review Board (CPRB) of the City of DeKalb, Illinois, convened on September 19, 2024, at the DeKalb Police Department, 700 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, Illinois.

A. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

Chair Maurice called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m.

Board Secretary Melissa Neblock called the roll, and the following members of the CPRB were present: Maurice McDavid, Kate Noreiko, Kelvy Brown, and Justin Carlson.

B. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

MOTION: Ms. Noreiko moved to approve the agenda; seconded by Mr. Carlson.

VOTE: Motion carried by a 4-0 voice vote of the CPRB members present.

C. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

1. July 11, 2024

MOTION: Mr. Brown moved to approve the minutes; seconded by Ms. Noreiko.

VOTE: Motion carried by a 4-0 voice vote of the CPRB members present.

D. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

There were no members who wished to speak.

E. CHAIRMAN UPDATE

Mr. McDavid again stated that he reached out to NACOLE and COPA for in-person training but has not heard back.

Mr. McDavid wanted to let the board know that he has spoken to the mayor and the mayor is actively looking for another member for the board.

Mr. McDavid also wanted to let the board know that he also let the mayor know that he fully plans on staying on the board in addition to his new role with the school district. He stated that the school will be a community hub and he will have a link to this board in the room for the parents of the school or area to use if they need to.

F. TRAINING: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT

Mr. McDavid again stated that he reached out to NACOLE and COPA for in-person training but has not heard back.

G. POLICY REVIEW

Mr. McDavid asked members to take a look at the Biased Enforcement policy. He stated that up to this point, one case has been found to be in violation of police policy but it was not in violation of the Biased Enforcement policy but that policy is the one that the board uses the most frequently. Ms. Noreiko brought up a few editorial comments regarding punctuation and grammar in the policy. Mr. McDavid said he felt that the differences could be due to using “policy words” but that the board would make note. Ms. Noreiko brought up the portion of the policy where it talks about the ways that complaints regarding biased enforcement are made and feels that the board should be referenced in that portion so that people know the CPRB can be part of the complaint process. Mr. McDavid brought up the portion of the policy that addresses the training on cultural diversity and what is required and that he thought it was too vague. He wanted to know if the content, frequency, and delivery method could be added. He is interested in the value of the training, its effectiveness, and how the officer views the training. Ms. Neblock said she could reach out to the Commander in charge of training and see if the board could be provided the newest requirements for meeting training standards. Mr. Brown said it would be nice to have someone come in and speak on the training requirements for the officers. Mr. McDavid wanted to remind the board that they have the ability to push changes or suggestions to the police department but also that any changes likely would have to be approved by the union. Mr. McDavid brought up the portion of the policy that states the officers may not ask the race of the people involved. Ms. Noreiko feels like this is incredibly hard for anyone to guess someone’s race by looking at them. Mr. McDavid asked where the policy comes from, and Ms. Neblock said she would ask and get back to the board. Mr. McDavid stated that the board has had conversations about locations due to Annie Glidden North being 48% African American and when he he is in that neighborhood, he always sees 2 police cars. When he asks about that he is almost always told it is due to call volume in that neighborhood but makes sense due to there being 25% of DeKalb’s population living in a 9% area. Mr. Carlson said he noticed on his ride-along that most of the police were in that location. Mr. McDavid said he realizes there are more officers now and that they are now able to broaden the areas that are patrolled. Mr. McDavid said he still wonders if the same stops are taking place in other locations in DeKalb that are taking place in the Village. Mr. Carlson said he has been pulled over for small things but didn’t get a citation like some cases in the village. Mr. McDavid said he understands the police presence and number of stops but feels like if they are policing neighborhoods differently that is biased. He also stated that those who live in those neighborhoods shouldn’t have to live with the cost of being pulled over more frequently than in other neighborhoods just because there are illegal activities in those neighborhoods. Ms. Noreiko said she doesn’t feel it is the board's place to tell the police how to do their jobs but wonders if there is something that can be said to the officers that they can just give warnings instead of writing tickets. Ms. Neblock said the officers do have discretion and are not required to write citations. Mr. Brown stated he was at Lincoln Hwy and Annie Glidden and didn’t have his seatbelt on, he was pulled over but once they saw everything was in order he was let go without a citation. Mr. McDavid stated that he feels that 30 years ago Mr. Brown may have had a different experience. Mr. McDavid said that everyone carries bias but that most bias that he has experienced has not been overt bias. He said he feels that the board's purpose is to put forth changes to policy but if the changes aren’t made at least, it has been pushed forward due to this being a citizen board and their goal is to represent the citizens because while the board is not anti-police their goal is to support citizens. Mr. McDavid asks that members push their ideas to Ms. Neblock to be shared with the board regarding any other policies that they have comments or concerns about.

H. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Mr. McDavid pointed out that tonight is the fifth of the required 6 meetings for the year. Mr. McDavid said the next date is October 10th and if there isn’t a complaint they could use the time to go over policies and training but that it would be better to get the 6 meetings in before the busy holiday months.

I. ADJOURNMENT

MOTION: Ms. Noreiko moved to adjourn the meeting; seconded by Mr. Brown.

VOTE: Motion carried by a 4-0 voice vote of the CPRB members present. Board Chair Maurice McDavid adjourned the meeting at 7:19 p.m.

https://www.cityofdekalb.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10102024-2597