Politics & Government
Rhode Island Rethinks Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill Of Rights
The task force is set to hold its first meeting in the coming weeks, the Rhode Island Legislature said.
The Rhode Island Senate is looking into reforming the state's Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights in an effort to increase accountability and rethink the way misconduct allegations are handled.
In a release Monday, the Rhode Island General Assembly said the 13-member task force is expected to have its first meeting in the coming weeks.
The bill of rights was established in 1976 and, according to the General Assembly, protects officers from accusations of misconduct, allowing them to be placed on leave and investigated by other officers instead of being immediately fired.
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A resolution that calls for the task force emphasizes the need for more accountability, tougher disciplinary procedures and better relations between police and minority groups.
“Public safety officers are to protect public safety, and there should not be ways to prevent those who pervert justice from being held accountable,” Senator Metts, D-Dist. 6, Providence, said in a statement. “The black, brown and southeast Asian communities have long called for genuine reform of this law to protect our safety. While it shouldn’t take widely distributed videos of police brutality and murder, as well as worldwide protests, to finally bring about change, I’m hopeful that our call is finally too great to ignore.”
Find out what's happening in Providencefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The task force consists of:
- Senator Metts
- Sen. Cynthia A. Coyne (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence)
- Sen. Gordon E. Rogers (R-Dist. 21, Foster, Coventry, Scituate, West Greenwich)
- Attorney General Peter F. Neronha
- State Police Superintendent Col. James M. Manni
- Providence Police Chief Col. Hugh T. Clements Jr.
- Rhode Island Human Rights Commission Executive Director Michael Évora
- NAACP Providence Branch President James Vincent
- Anthony Capezza Jr., representing the Rhode Island AFL-CIO
- Latino Policy Institute Director Marcela Betancur
- Providence External Review Board Executive Director Jose F. Batista
- Rev. Howard M. Jenkins Jr.
- Rev. Chontell N. Washington
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