Community Oversight Board Charter Referendum Amendment #1 Gi NASHVILLE Accountability Matters. A Community Oversight Board (COB) will make police and criminal justice operations more open, transparent, and responsive to community concems and needs. It will bring greater accountability to Metropolitan government at a time in which public trust in institutions has deteriorated due to recent events. ‘Community Representation. The COB will at as the people's representative and work as an equal partner with MNPD to address allegations of police misconduct and create policies that work for the community. Fairness & Equity. The COB sends a message that everyone in Nashville should be treated as first-class citizens regardless of where they were bora, how much money they make, their political connections, what neighborhood they are a part of, their sexual orientatioa, or their racial, ethnic, or religious backgrounds. Summary. A COB (also referred to as a civilian review board, citizen's review board, etc.) is one tool used by forward-looking cities to address potice accountability and enhance community safety. A “best practices” COB operates independently from law enforcement, is staffed with civilians, has adequate authority and a suitable staff size, and regularly reports to the community. The proposed Nashville COB ‘will have primary jurisdiction to fairly resolve allegations of MNPD officer misconduct, and the authority to stady Nashville's criminal justice system and make advisory recommendations to improve its functioning and faimess. : Oversight. The COB will be comprised of 11 members: 7 members nominated by community ‘organizations or through petition, 4 of whom must reside in economically distressed communities (all 7 rust be approved by Metro Council); 2 members nominated by the Mayor; and 2 nominees approved by Metro Nashville Council. All Board members must demonstrate @ commitment to civil rights, racial and ‘gender equity, inclusion, and have training in policing practices. Current law enforcement officers and lected officials are not eligible to serve as board members of the COB. However, law enforcement officers are eligible to serve after 5 years of retirement. Duties and Powers of the COB: + Empowered to investigate and fairly resolve allegations of misconduct by MNPD officers. ‘+ Empowered to resolve conflicts between officers and citizens through non-punitive remedies such as ‘mediation, counseling, and restorative practices. + Empowered to make factual findings as to whether or not allegations of officer misconduct are founded, and if they are to make disciplinary recommendations that MNPD must impose. ‘+ Empowered to research and analyze policies of any Davidson County criminal justice agency and issue advisory reports for improvements, + Empowered to reach out to the communities most impacted by overpolicing. This includes holding official COB meetings in the affected communities. + Given compulsory power or the power to compel (this is the equivalent of subpoena power) as designated in the Nashville charter (Section 18.10) and validated by the Tennessee Attomey General (No. 18-07, Submitted to Representative Brenda Gilmore, March 8, 2018). Staffing: «+ An Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director, Community Engagement Liaisons, Investigators, Legal Resource Assistants (not legal counsel), Research Analysts, Language Interpreters, and other ‘Administrative Support Staff. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: nashvillecob@ gmail.com - bittps://wwrw facebook.com/NashvilleCOB/ 615-375-6094 - @oversightnow !