The Community Review Board’s executive director reported an increase in complaints and several community‑engagement efforts at the August meeting and the board voted to accept the report.
Key operational points: The executive director said the office received 10 civilian complaints since the July meeting and that several cases are awaiting chief‑level outcomes under the board’s MOU. She asked the board to log Rule 16 denials (discussed elsewhere in the meeting) and to note that OPA links sometimes omit body‑worn camera footage, requiring separate requests.
Community engagement: The director reported a public outreach campaign that includes five billboards at city locations (James Robertson Parkway; Dickerson Pike & Trinity Lane; Jefferson Street; Thompson Lane at Franklin Pike; and the 28th/30th connector). The campaign has produced almost 2,500,000 impressions in 30 days, the director said. The board’s annual fall festival is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8 at Hartman Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the director said staff will circulate goals and objectives and upcoming informational reports, including an immigration informational report, an annual use‑of‑force report and a traffic stops and arrests annual report.
Staffing, recruitment and academy: During public comment and board discussion, MNPD representatives said the most recent academy graduation occurred about a month before the meeting and that MNPD typically runs a mix of basic and lateral classes. MNPD said its staffing vacancy picture is complex because trainees are not counted as sworn numbers until fully certified; the department runs roughly eight academy classes per year and background and hiring processes typically take about a year.
Diversity targets: A board member asked for current counts on women and officers of color; MNPD said it would provide updated numbers (the director reported a prior figure of about 12% women on the force, subject to confirmation).
Board action: A motion to accept the executive director’s report passed unanimously; the board asked staff to distribute training and recruitment materials and to provide further details on long‑pending cases in the aging report for clarity.