Markeshia Ricks Photo
Emma Jones, who led the fight for decades a stronger CRB, congratulated at City Hall after passage of the new ordinance.
A Newhallville management team stalwart, a Wooster Square documentarian of community policing, and a constitutional law professor are among the activists Mayor Toni Harp has tapped for the new version of New Haven’s civilian review board.
Mayor Harp’s 11 picks for the board, which will review allegations of police misconduct, come before the Board of Alders at its meeting Monday night. The alders have the charge of confirming or denying the nominations after holding a hearing on them.
The alders passed a new version of the CRB in January to give it subpoena power, among other moves to strengthen it.
Harp’s picks include Nina Faucett, who has served as secretary and treasurer of the Newhallville Community Management Team; Steve Hamm, whose documentary on community policing opened at the recent NH Docs festival; and Ryan Knox, a downtown resident who teaches criminal and constitutional law at University of Bridgeport and who has pressed city officials to cut down on siren noise.
Jayuan Carter, who has co-chaired a Dixwell Democratic ward committee and worked on the campaign staff of U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy as well as graduated from the city’s Small Business Academy, is also on Harp’s nominee list, as is retired police officer Bob Proto of the East Shore.
Thomas MacMillan photo
CRB nominee Jewu Richardson.
Other nominees include Iva L. Johnson, Donald Spencer, Chris Bernard, Jewu Richardson, Richard Crouse, and Jean C. Jenkins.
Harp picked the nominees after receiving suggestions from the management teams and directly from the public, and conducting interviews.
Under the new ordinance, the CRB can have up to 15 members. They are to include citizens from each of New Haven’s policing districts. In addition to the mayor’s nominations, the Board of Alders is to pick three members: two at-large representatives and an alder.
No Latinos on the CRB? We only make up about 25% of the city. Mayor: is this intentional or yet another oversight?