Public Safety and Community Relations Board

Assistant Chief Chad Wamsley filed for retirement after more than 25 years on the force. He is the second assistant chief to retire in recent weeks, with an Oct. 16 departure date.

Jack McQueen took questions from concerned citizens leading a campaign against use of Flock brand license plate reading cameras to solve crimes.

During a period of self-reflection, Bloomington's Public Safety and Community Relations Board is considering its scope and purview as a public police accountability body. A member of the legal team that wrote its bylaws said disciplinary action and investigatory power is not legally possible.

Chief Jamal Simington gave a presentation on immigration policies and procedures in the Bloomington Police Department during a quarterly meeting of the city's police accountability board.

The technology is a feature of Flock Safety cameras the department uses in select investigations. Flock came under scrutiny last year, when it was revealed federal agents were accessing data for immigration enforcement.

The board selected a subcommittee charged with examining recommendations from a victims' rights group that wants to see greater investigatory power to hold police accountable. The PSCRB reviewed one complaint last year.

The suggestion comes after a four-month delay in ruling on the City of Bloomington's police accountability panel's first complaint in two years.

The Public Safety and Community Relations Board's oversight of Bloomington Police complaints has proven to some to be a long, clunky process. A victims' rights organization suggests reforming it.

The American Civil Liberties Union [ACLU] of Illinois is responding to multiple civil liberties issues across the state, including the possibility of a camera company illegally sharing its data with federal immigration enforcement.

For several members of the city's Public Safety and Community Relations Board, it was their first time reviewing a complaint, leading to discussion about the board's function and role.