A new Beaufort County group seeks more accountability from police. How will it work?
A new group seeking to shine a light on how policing is done in departments across Beaufort County made its first pitch to government officials this week.
The Beaufort County Police Accountability Task Force, a grassroots committee formed after recent protests over the death of George Floyd, wants to meet with elected officials and law enforcement leaders throughout the county in an effort to collect regular data to share with the public.
“Having lived in other areas of the country, I’m surprised this doesn’t already exist, that there aren’t citizen oversight boards of local law enforcement,” said Lisa Allen, a Lady’s Island resident, financial adviser and freelance journalist who is helping head the group. “I think this is long overdue.. And that’s not to say I think they’re doing a poor job. But I think they can do a better job if they involve citizens moreso in their planning.”
Among the information the group plans to request from police are policies on the use of force, body cameras, training requirements, demographics of the police force and a line-item police budget. The committee also wants demographic data related to traffic stops, arrests, tickets, citations and warnings and details about complaints made against officers and their outcomes.
More phases would examine the demographics of prosecutors’ indictments, pleas and convictions and public defender’s office case loads.
According to the document submitted to the city, the task force includes Allen, a former Beaufort Gazette employee, Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce CEO Larry Holman and Chip Jenkins of the Bluffton Democratic Club, among others. The police accountability committee is still being formed and organizers want to create a diverse group from throughout the county, Allen said.
Allen plans to talk to elected officials from the county and the municipalities before going to law enforcement agencies to seek information.
The task force expects to begin collecting that information during the next two months, sharing it publicly and then advocating for relevant changes to policies and laws, according to a timeline provided by the group.
A presentation to Beaufort City Council and Beaufort Police Chief Matt Clancy during a workshop Tuesday was the group’s first public pitch.
Allen presented the group’s plan and intent and asked Clancy for monthly meetings with a police representative to receive and discuss requested data.
Clancy told Allen there were areas the city already appears to be complying with the group’s requests, including barring chokeholds except when an officer’s life is in danger; requiring other officers to intervene in the case of misconduct; and prohibiting shooting at moving vehicles except in the most extreme circumstances. He also said his officers receive training on use of force and de-escalation.
He described the expandable batons, pepper spray and Tasers as non-lethal options police carry and said the department had ordered BolaWrap devices that fire a tether to restrain someone around the arms and legs.
Mayor Billy Keyserling asked Allen how the task force was chosen and who would hold the group accountable.
Allen said city officials have the chance to formally acknowledge the group’s role and create rules for its structure and oversight.
City manager Bill Prokop said fulfilling the information requests would be possible but noted that some of the information could be subject to redaction. He said it would be important to provide one set of data and not separate information for numerous groups.
City officials also heard a presentation by Unified Beaufort, a group separate from the task force, headed by Timothy Garvin and others. The group read a letter signed by Garvin denouncing an earlier city resolution meant to show solidarity with recent protests as not going far enough in addressing social justice issues.
“Unified Beaufort stands firm on our demands and we expect you to do better,” Garvin’s letter read. “We expect you to be proactive and better your understanding of the social issues at hand within our very own city, we are providing you our demands.”
Unified Beaufort wants to be a party to the planning processes for reform measures. It is also advocating an independent citizen review board to address complaints against public officials and bodies and for a policy to strip police of certifications in the event of certain misconduct.
It is targeting racial profiling and pushing measures for youth centers in Black communities. It asks for mental health treatment for first responders who need it in the wake of a traumatic event and improved diversion efforts for those needing mental health treatment in the criminal justice system.
The plan should include mission and vision statements on how it will better the lives of African Americans, organizers said.
“We call it social justice reform,” Nakeisha Dawson-Thompson told city council members Tuesday, “because it’s not just police reform. It’s social justice.”
Note: This story has been updated to clarify that Unified Beaufort is not currently part of the police accountability task force.
This story was originally published June 25, 2020 at 4:50 AM.
