South Salt Lake Establishes Civilian Review Board
City Leaders Create an Oversight Board of the Police Department
February 10, 2022
South Salt Lake City, UT - South Salt Lake City leaders delivered on a commitment to additional transparency and accountability of the South Salt Lake Police Department with the adoption of advice and consent for members of a new independent Civilian Review Board (CRB). The CRB is made up of seven Members, two Alternate Members, and one non-voting Advisory Member.
Our City has always been committed to transparency, and as Mayor, I am dedicated to maintaining community trust,
said Mayor Cherie Wood. The CRB enhances transparency with the appointment of qualified residents determined by a five-member selection committee who are local experts in the areas of racial justice, civics, and community involvement.
The City's inaugural CRB members were selected by community leaders from neighboring jurisdictions. The CRB Selection Committee, Frank Lilly, Jeanetta Williams, Monica Dobbins, Kaletta Lynch, and Abby Dizon-Maughan spent several weeks reviewing 27 applications and conducting virtual and in-person interviews.
The City Council met on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, and unanimously gave Advice and Consent for all appointed CRB members brought forward.
I'm proud that we have led the way in police reform. This is the first step of many and I'm excited to see how we will continue to improve safety for all,
said City Council Member Natalie Pinkney.
Building and sustaining ongoing dialogue and transparency with our community is crucial to the success of our Public Safety department,
said SSL Police Chief Jack Carruth. We have a dedicated group of officers, and I believe this board will only enhance the quality services we provide.
City leaders are committed to public safety that puts people first,
said City Council Chair Sharla Bynum. The message is clear; we are a community that promotes justice while ensuring law enforcement excellence.
The residents appointed to serve on the Citizen Review Board are Zac Barnes, Conrad Campos, Joy Glad, Jason Keffer, Kevin Miller, Christina Nee, and Cassius Willis. Alternate Civilian Review Board Members are Lorrina Heisey and Richard Lane. The Advisory Non-Voting Civilian Review Board Member appointed to serve is Gary Cox.
The CRB is tasked with reviewing certain Use of Force and Vehicle Pursuit incidents. In addition, they will provide a mediation program and encourage community engagement in policing. The South Salt Lake Civilian Review Board will begin monthly meetings in March.
Background
In early June of 2020, citizens began speaking out following a weekend of local protests which erupted after the news of George Floyd's death on May 25, 2020. This conversation set the wheels in motion for another level of transparency with our local law enforcement and the idea of creating an independent Civilian Review Board for South Salt Lake. City leaders and Council members spent time researching local and national CRB models, and current practices of strong anti-bias and de-escalation training programs were reviewed. Following public input and discussion, it was determined that a seven-member board with a non-voting advisory member would create the independent oversight that was requested by the community.
South Salt Lake City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance Number 2021-10 on June 24, 2021, establishing the framework for the City's CRB.