NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — By January 31st, Nashville will have its first-ever Community Oversight Board in place to investigate police misconduct allegations.
At last check, 140 candidates turned in their questionnaires before 3:00 p.m. The official deadline was 4:30 p.m. Friday afternoon.
"The charter amendment says this board is suppose to be elected by January 31st and we're going to do it," vice mayor Jim Shulman said Friday.
Shulman said he is confident Metro's Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections Committee can efficiently interview the 182 community oversight nomination pool before Metro Council elects and confirms an 11-member board during a special January 22 meeting.
Once all questionnaire responses have been electronically sorted and complied by the Metro Cleark's office, the responses will be loaded onto a spreadsheet and distributed to all council members adn staff on January 7.
Shulman said those who met Friday's deadline will be interviewed by four special rules subcommittees either on January 16, 17, or 19.
"If they took an interest in this and their going to fill in the questionnaire, we want to hear from them," he said.
Starting on Monday, January 7, nominees will have one week to choose a 10-minute slot time to be interviewed by one of the four subcommittees. The subcommittees will be made up of Rules committee members and members of the Metro council.
"You basically have to keep it to 10 minutes or we'll be there for hours trying to get through this. Any nominee who fails to schedule a subcommittee interview by 12:00pm noon, January 11 will be withdrawn from nomination" he said.
The established oversight board would investigate and make recommendations to the metro police department in the case of alleged officer misconduct or policy development. This comes following two deadly officer involved shootings in the city the last two years. Shulman knows how important forming the board is to some in the community.
"The council members as a whole are looking to put together a very solid group of 11 people that understand the responsibilities of this board, understand the importance of the board and can work together and do this right," he said.
A special Metro Council meeting will take place on Jan 22nd to elect and confirm members to the city's first-ever Community Oversight board.
