A city of Bloomington commission that reviews police procedures has heard its first complaint in two years.
The Public Safety and Community Relations Board [PSCRB] meets monthly for a public forum with representatives from the Bloomington Police Department [BPD]. The department answers questions and provides data on calls for service and use of force. But the board's primary function is citizen oversight and accountability of the police force, providing a mechanism for residents to appeal complaints handled through the department’s internal review process.
At Wednesday’s meeting, the board considered an accusation BPD did not thoroughly investigate an alleged battery earlier this year.
“We haven’t had one of these in awhile,” said chair Rachel McFarland. “Our charge is to look at whether or not police followed policy and procedure."
Most of the discussion, however, centered on confusion over the board’s own policies and procedures for dealing with such a complaint. Members ultimately decided to table further discussion of the complaint until next month’s meeting.
Assistant Police Chief Chad Wamsley said he’s not aware of any instances when a BPD complaint was challenged or overturned by the PSCRB. And it’s not clear what, if anything, such a citizens' review board could do if it did. Wamsley said the board has twice made recommendations for BPD based on reviews of a complaint, both of which were adopted by the department.
“When we have a complaint filed with our office, we investigate the complaint,” Wamsley said. “Once that complaint is finished, I personally send a closing letter to the complainant.”
The letter, Wamsley said, has instructions on how to contact him with questions and concerns, as well as the option to have the complaint reviewed by the PSCRB.
“Ninety-nine percent of our complaints — they either call and I talk to them, or their answers are in the closing letter,” he said.
Use of license plate readers
As part of his report to the board, Wamsley said BPD’s use of automatic license plate readers [ALPR] has greatly accelerated investigations, including a recent homicide arrest made in under an hour.
“It was our ALPRs that pretty much solved that entire case,” Wamsley said. “They are instrumental in solving crimes.”
A department spokesman could not comment on that case. APLR technology was similarly used to bring charges against a teenager from Normal, related to a 2024 shooting in the 1000 block of West Market Street in Bloomington. The shooting happened around 3:44 p.m. Police had a suspect by 4:30 p.m. The 16-year-old was charged as an adult, and in July was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to shooting another teen in both legs.
McFarland inquired about whether the city’s APLRs are part of a statewide privacy lawsuit accusing Flock Safety of illegally allowing border enforcement officers to access Illinois plate camera data.
BPD uses Flock Safety equipment, though Wamsley described the department’s application of the technology as “conservative” compared with other departments. A monthly audit showed the data had not been leaked; the audit also monitors officers for appropriate use of ALPRs.
“We are definitely on the cutting edge of how we use our video and LPR technology,” he said. “That is a great sign for us.”
