Contract negotiations and midterm election ballot measures are pushing the often-fraught relationship between city police unions and independent oversight panels, entities created through federal consent decrees, into the spotlight. Police unions usually feel attacked, community members decry a lack of conversation, and government officials are caught in the middle.
In an ideal marriage, police officers and oversight board members collaborate to build trust in the community, Baltimore City Solicitor Andre Davis told Bloomberg Law, but unions are wary of more management.
Voters in Nashville, Tenn., approved a civilian oversight board Nov. 6, and Baltimore and Seattle’s police departments already have ...