Mayor Prussing has made her appointments to the Urbana Citizens Police Review Board. I honestly don't know any of the appointees, but I have heard some of their names in community circles. The list does appear to be a diverse group of people with impressive educational backgrounds.
Appointees include:
Tom Costello (Assistant Managing Director CUMTD)
Scotty Dossett (Retired Scientist/Consultant)
Grace Mitchell (Secondary Alternative Education Director, UHS)
James McNeely (General Manager Brinks Transportation)
Philip Chong Ho Shon (Assistant Professor Criminology, Indiana University)
Diane Gottheil (Former consultant to Governor in corrections, first director of Community Corrections program)
Ivy Williams (Student Services Coordinator, Champaign Schools)
The mayor's appointment message is found at http://www.city.urbana.il.us/Urbana/City_Council/Agendas/12-17-2007/mayoral_appointments.pdf
To fall back on my military background. These all appear to be officer types. Where are the grunts & nco's?
I don't know any of those people personally, but they look like good choices.
To continue the military analogy, would you want privates and buck sergeants writing the OERs of their BC and staff officers?
Seems to me that educated folks with a penchant for looking at all sides of an issue with a minimum of subjectivity would be the way to go all around, vs having a few brains, and a few 'average joes'. People's careers and lives are potentially at stake based on review findings handed out from this board. That's a very serious matter, and such a board deserves the most educated, collaborative leadership-types they can get their hands on, folks who have experience doling out accolades and administrative punishments/reassignments/re-education to their subordinates as needed and in proper moderation.
I was INCREDIBLY skeptical of the whole idea, and the fact that the mayor-activist of the People's Republic of Urbana would be the 'decider', but I'm actually pretty impressed at the selection (although I, too, haven't heard of most of them, and know nothing about any of them, save what is written above).
The critical thinking skills contained in this group should be impressive.
I'm just happy that it isn't the usual protestor suspects who ended up on the board.
John,
Any pictures of the board been released?
To that end, I am, and shall always remain;
Rex Bradfield
The city will spend thousands of dollars training this qualified group of people who ultimately will have hardly any cases to review.
yes, we need photos
yes, we need photos
PIX PLS K THX
Heh.
"Seems to me that educated folks with a penchant for looking at all sides of an issue with a minimum of subjectivity would be the way to go all around, vs having a few brains, and a few 'average joes'."
I agree totally. Common folks, a.k.a. "average joes," without college degrees are way too stupid to serve on anything as important as police review boards. They shouldn't be allowed to vote or serve on juries, either.
"I agree totally. Common folks, a.k.a. "average joes," without college degrees are way too stupid to serve on anything as important as police review boards. They shouldn't be allowed to vote or serve on juries, either."
...case in point: folks with a temper, heavy sarcasm and an axe to grind are probably not prime targets for these positions.
Are these people URBANA residents? Prof from I. U.? We need to take a lesson from the CHAMPAIGN SCHOOLS FUTURE committee........show your W-2 at the door...no lazy plumbers or factory workers allowed.
The very premise that higher education automatically ensures critical thinking and objectivity is refuted on a daily basis by our dear friends in the old post office building. It's a purely elitist viewpoint, and is an insult to all the people who toil away anonymously to make this town go. I'll stack the wisdom of our old high school janitor up against some of the UI's resident pinheads any day of the week.
All together now! "We don't need no education..."
akibare... ha!
"...we don't need no thought control."
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Glock21 Op/Ed