ST. LOUIS (AP) - A St. Louis elected official active in the Ferguson protests wants to give additional investigative power to a planned city police oversight board - a change an aide to Mayor Francis Slay said would scuttle a compromise agreement nearly a decade in the making.
A committee of the city's Board of Aldermen met Thursday to discuss an amendment granting subpoena authority to the proposed civilian review panel. Alderman Antonio French, the amendment's sponsor, called it essential to restore public trust in police after Michael Brown's death in north St. Louis County and several subsequent fatal police shootings in the city.
"The days of leaving it up to police to police themselves ... are over," he said. "Without subpoena power, all you're doing is creating something in name only."
The Public Safety Committee did not vote on the change or take public testimony from a small group of observers. The hearing followed a public meeting on civilian oversight last week that had to be cut short after audience outbursts led to pushing and shoving among some participants. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office is investigating that incident to determine if any participants should face criminal charges.
The police oversight panel would investigate citizen complaints of police misconduct and review police policy and practices. Its members could make recommendations but not mete out discipline.