“We are Negligent as a Board” – Scott Dossett on the Urbana Civilian Police Review Board

After several months of criticism from engaged residents, members of the Urbana Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) are finally beginning to realize what everyone else has been saying: the CPRB is broken.

At the January 22^nd, 2020 CPRB meeting, founding member Scott Dossett did not mince words. “We are negligent as a board”, he said, after admitting that the board hadn’t submitted required quarterly or annual reports in over five years.

Though Dossett was referring specifically to the filing of reports when he claimed the board had been negligent, his statement would not be unfitting for most of the CPRB’s work over the past few years. The board members have not been receiving or reviewing any complaints for several years, and therefor are not keeping a complaint registry, as required by ordinance. The CPRB also independently decided to stop reviewing most Taser usages, even though they are required to review all Taser usages. Residents have also criticized the CPRB with failing to meeting often enough, and not having even basic familiarity with the CPRB Ordinance which defines the board.

To take a deep dive into the activities of the CPRB, click on the “CPRB” tag at the bottom of this article.