South Portland Establishes Human Rights Commission and Police Review Task Force

In a unanimous vote, the South Portland City Council has agreed to form two committees to address concerns about systemic racism and effective policing in the wake of recent Black Lives Matter protests and calls to defund police departments. The council also allocated funds to establish a municipal Human Rights Commission and a Police Services Review Task Force, making it the first municipal group in Maine to take public action in response to protests.

Key Takeaways:

• The council voted unanimously to form a municipal Human Rights Commission, which will be the first of its kind in Maine, with $30,000 allocated from the proposed police budget.
• The commission will be a permanent panel working against hatred, bigotry, and discrimination in the community through education and municipal oversight.
• The commission will review city policies and recommend changes to root out racism and implicit bias, and handle complaints of human rights violations against city employees and officials.
• The commission will require a two-thirds vote by all seven councilors to dissolve, ensuring its continued operation.
• The Police Services Review Task Force will examine police department records, policies, and practices to determine whether changes can be made to improve the response to certain calls for service.
• The task force will be composed of a facilitator hired to assist the working group, and members will include the police chief, a city councilor, a resident, and other community representatives.
• The task force is expected to complete its work and issue a report to the council in February.

Statistics:

• $30,000 allocated from the proposed police budget for the Human Rights Commission.
• 13-member commission, including 9 voting members appointed by councilors, and 4 ex-officio members representing the police, planning, human resources, and school departments.
• 2/3 majority vote required to dissolve the Human Rights Commission.
• $15,000 allocated for the Police Services Review Task Force from the city's contracted services account and surplus funds.
• February anticipated completion date for the Police Services Review Task Force report.

Sources:

• "South Portland forms human rights commission, police review task force in response to Black Lives Matter protests" by Kelley Bouchard, published in the Portland Press Herald (c)2020 the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine)
• "South Portland to set up human rights commission, review police practices" by Kelley Bouchard, published in the Portland Press Herald (c)2020 the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine)