The Albemarle County Supervisors have established a citizens’ advisory panel to oversee the county police. The three-member panel will be appointed early next year, and will have input on police policies. They will be able to review police car videotapes, but they will not have access to confidential or internal investigation data. This all started in August, when county resident Daley Craig got upset with the police, and demanded the creation of a citizen review board. A few weeks later, County Police Chief John Miller endorsed the idea, and submitted a proposal to the county that it be created. Late in September, County Supervisor David Bowerman endorsed the idea, and it just passed yesterday. The County is actively seeking applicants, so interested parties would do well to contact them soon. WINA has the story.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Kent Willis of the Richmond ACLU office has pointed out that this simply isn’t a useful organization if this panel does not have access to internal police data. In addition, this panel can’t make any sort of binding decisions, only make recommendations. This basically means that they’ll be a trio of people with neither useful information nor the power to do anything with the information that they do have.
But, hey, it’s a start.