ST. LOUIS • An open meeting at City Hall on the creation of a civilian oversight board of the police department devolved into a melee on Wednesday night, further exposing the city’s deep divisions over race and law enforcement.
The meeting held by the aldermanic public safety committee, designed to seek public comment, lasted more than an hour with little event as residents ticked off the pros and cons of having a civilian board to review police conduct and procedures.
But the crowd became unsettled when police officers began testifying in opposition to the bill. At times, Alderman Terry Kennedy, who chairs the committee, struggled to keep order. The noise in the room spiked as police officers attempted to testify.
At that point, Jeff Roorda, the business manager of the city’s police union, stood and called for order. Roorda was wearing a wristband in support of Darren Wilson, a former Ferguson police officer whose fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown last summer sparked months of civic unrest.
After Roorda stood up, the crowd grew louder.
“Excuse me, first of all, you do not tell me my function,” responded Kennedy, who has championed the issue of civilian review for more than a decade.
Standing in the aldermanic hearing room packed with people shoulder-to-shoulder beneath a ceiling painted with allegorical images of Western democracy, Roorda shouted back at Kennedy.
Others began yelling, then pushing and shoving as officers struggled to maintain control. Some in the crowd scrambled to leave the packed room, which has only two exits.
The commotion lasted for about 15 minutes until order was restored.
Kennedy attempted to resume the meeting, but it was futile in the tense room. He ended the hearing shortly after it resumed.
“A good situation went bad,” Alderman Jeffrey Boyd said. “I’m disappointed we didn’t get through this.”
Alderman Joe Vaccaro said the situation represented the city’s “deep divisions.”
Kennedy said the sole purpose of the hearing was to get public input — which it did.
“This isn’t easy,” Kennedy said. “There will be disagreements. These things have simmered for a long time.”
Kennedy had asked both supporters and opponents to refrain from applause throughout the night. Things became more heated as some protesters pointed out Roorda in the crowd and the wristband he was wearing.
“We spent the night hearing from anti-police radicals,” Roorda said. “We hear from two police officers and he (Kennedy) lets the place go wild.”
Protesters accused Roorda of starting the melee by pushing a woman. They demanded his arrest after the meeting.
Roorda said that he had become surrounded and that people had been grabbing at his ankles.
No one was arrested or appeared seriously injured.
The aldermanic committee wasn’t expected to vote Wednesday night on the bill to establish the police review board.
It was proposed after the unrest in Ferguson. Proponents have said civilians should have a voice in policing and should be able to hold police officers accountable for misconduct. Opponents say such a board could prevent officers from doing their jobs by producing an additional layer of bureaucracy at a time when crime is rising and officers have become hesitant to engage in preventive crime-fighting methods.
Under the measure, the St. Louis Civilian Oversight Board would have the authority to investigate allegations of police misconduct, research and assess police policies, operations and procedures, and make findings and recommendations. It would also be able to independently review evidence and witness statements from investigations by police internal affairs. The board would report its findings to the city’s public safety director and police chief.
The board would be made up of seven members nominated by the mayor and approved by the Board of Aldermen. They would not be paid. Nominees would have to be city residents. They couldn’t hold public office or be related to employees of the police department. Each member would have a specific district that spans several city wards.
Many protesters who support the idea behind the bill said they were concerned that the mayor would get to appoint the members of the committee.
Civilian oversight boards became popular in the protest movements of the 1960s and ’70s. The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Police estimates more than 100 cities have civilian oversight or review boards of police. St. Louis is one of the largest in the nation without an independent outside look at police.
Both Kansas City and Columbia, Mo., have civilian review boards.
Kennedy said he was unsure if he’d have another public session or when the bill would come up for a final vote before the board.
