Residents press Decatur leaders for immediate action after third‑party police review

Residents and community activists used the public‑comment period at a Decatur City Council meeting to demand immediate implementation of recommendations from a third‑party review of the Decatur Police Department and to call for accountability for officers and leaders named in the report.

The complaints centered on the Green Research & Technology (GRT) review that the city commissioned and later released in redacted form. Speakers said the redactions — which city legal staff recommended — obscured information the public needs to judge whether the department has changed. Many speakers urged the council to remove Chief Todd Pinion or place independent oversight over the chief.

Why it matters: speakers tied the review to recent violent incidents and to what they described as ongoing cultural problems in the department, saying failures in internal‑affairs processes and in use of an early‑warning system (IAPro) let misconduct continue. Council members said some procedural changes have begun but that personnel decisions require a formal process and a supermajority vote.

Multiple residents described the review as proof of “a pattern” of misconduct. Chris (identified in the record as a resident and activist) said, “We demand justice, not excuses,” and described the review as a call to “real accountability.” Several speakers referenced the 16 months since the death of Steve Perkins and said they had expected faster, more visible changes after the report’s delivery.

Councilmember Vlad Jackson characterized the report as “very, very concerning.” Jackson told the meeting he and others watched videos and evidence that, in his view, substantiated the reviewers’ findings. Councilmember McMasters said he has been working with staff on implementing changes the report recommended, including communications and advisory‑board adjustments, but acknowledged the limits of council authority over day‑to‑day department operations.

On specific points raised by speakers: - Staffing and training: The police chief told the meeting the department is budgeted for 140 positions and currently has “less than 110.” Several residents and one speaker who said they had worked on training materials said the department previously required roughly 40 hours of annual training and that figure had been reduced to about 13 hours under current leadership; they urged restoration or expansion of training on use of force, de‑escalation and complaint handling. - Internal‑affairs timing and records: Speakers and councilmembers discussed an internal‑affairs completion window that had been 365 days and was being changed to a shorter target to reduce delays in investigations and to prevent loss or deletion of video evidence. City officials said GRT recommended changes and that legal staff reviewed redactions; GRT physically produced the redacted report but did not itself choose which passages to black out. - Complaint intake and IAPro (the early‑warning system): Commenters said complaint forms were not consistently logged into IAPro and that the system’s early‑warning alerts were therefore not being used effectively. City officials acknowledged problems in how complaints had been entered and said policy changes are being made so complainants receive notice of results in a shorter time frame (the report noted prior requirements of 365 days would be shortened).

Council response and next steps: Councilmembers repeated that personnel actions are governed by city procedures and that removing the police chief or taking other employment actions requires a formal personnel process and a supermajority vote. Several councilmembers said they have met repeatedly with residents, department leaders and staff since the report arrived; they urged continued public engagement and said they would press the chief for a clear, itemized list of implementation steps. Some councilmembers said they would seek regular public updates on what the department is changing.

Public safety context: Many speakers tied the policing concerns to recent violent incidents, video releases and ongoing protests. A number of commenters said they do not feel safe in certain neighborhoods and urged the council to address systemic problems rather than wait for incremental fixes.

Ending: Councilmembers and staff said the city will continue to work through the report’s recommendations and to clarify complaint intake and IAPro procedures; council members emphasized that formal action on personnel matters requires following the city’s established process.