Civilian-led police oversight boards would become advisory only under a bill moving through the Indiana legislature.
The bill is aimed at Indianapolis. The city instituted an oversight board in response to national protests over police violence in 2020.
The bill removes any “binding authority” of civilian-led police oversight boards - eliminating the power of both existing boards and any future boards. The legislation would not impact merit boards that deal with police disciplinary issues.
Rick Snyder is the President of the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, which supports the legislation. He said boards put chiefs in an awkward position.
“We don’t have civilian boards that dictate to fire subject matter experts, fire science, and how they are going to battle fires,” he said.
Synder took issue with efforts by the board to change general orders, in particular when police would be able to use a chokehold.
“We had a policy that was developed that said you could not use any kind of neck restraint even in the exigent circumstance of deadly force to save your life,” he said. “That had to be overturned via the state.”
The committee also heard testimony that members of the oversight board didn’t show up for some meetings, leading to meetings getting canceled and holding up the implementation of new policies.
Bill author Sen. Cyndi Carrasco (R-Indianapolis) argued that jurisdiction over policy decisions needed to rest with police.
“This bill is not intended at all to diminish at all the oversight of officers,” she said. “What it does, though, is it puts a police chief back in the ability to make policies and adjustments to how their department functions.”
Democrats opposed to the bill asked why the legislature needed to weigh in on the authority of a local government board at all.
Sen. Greg Taylor (D-Indianapolis) questioned why state lawmakers were trying to influence decisions made by Indianapolis leaders. “My members, Democrats, won elections, and they are in charge, and they do make public policy decisions,” he said. “It’s ok to disagree with them. I have to sit here and do this all the time.”
Sen. Sue Glick (R-LaGrange) worried the bill itself was too sweeping, though she ultimately voted in favor of it.
“In an attempt to rein in Marion County once again, we’re going to take along with it a bunch of boards around the state that may have an active and positive impact on their communities,” she said. “I’m somewhat concerned that it’s so broad.”
The bill now heads to the full Senate.
Contact Government and Health Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org