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Police Board Reviews First Complaint, Finds No Malpractice

Art Taylor speaks
Mary Cullen
/
WGLT
Bloomington's Public Safety and Community Relations Board Chairman Art Taylor at their quarterly meeting Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

Over a year after its creation, Bloomington's Public Safety and Community Relations Board (PSCRB) received and reviewed its first complaint.

Board Chairman Art Taylor said the PSCRB sided with Bloomington Police on their first complaint review.

"The BPD followed the procedure and process that they have in place. So the board felt no need to recommend any changes to their process," he said.

Taylor said the board was unanimous in its decision. He said the investigation involved three weeks of questioning between the board and law enforcement.

The complaint was lodged against an officer, citing improper practice. Taylor said the officer acted within BPD procedure.

"The process worked. It was our first complaint. Except for some initial hiccups as far as our procedure was concerned, our process that we put in place worked out pretty well."

Taylor said the board remains confident in its operations going forward.

Residents can submit complaints to Bloomington Police after interactions with law enforcement. Those who are unhappy with the department's resolution can escalate the complaint to the PSCRB for a third-party review.

The complaint review process by the PSCRB is entirely anonymous for both the complainant and the accused officer.

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