It is proposed, by the residents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, that a Citizen Review Board be formed for the City of Benton Harbor Police Department, which will consist of non-police community members who can regularly provide input into police department operations, enforce greater police accountability and help build trust within the community. Residents for the board would be chosen by a coalition of community organizations.

They would have the power to independently investigate civilian complaints, subpoena information for its investigations, and determine whether individual officers have committed misconduct. They would call for a more diverse force to represent the community, increased training in implicit bias, de-escalation techniques, and other actionable items to ensure more equitable policing.

This is a call to action. We must act and we must act now. Please sign the petition to help improve our local community.