Gov. Asa Hutchinson has released the names of the individuals who will make up a new task force reviewing law enforcement standards in Arkansas.
On Tuesday, June 9, Hutchinson signed an executive order creating the Task Force to Advance the State of Law Enforcement in Arkansas. The goal of the task force is to study and review the state’s law enforcement policies, from certification, community policy, hiring and retention, accountability, discipline and more.
According to the executive order, the task force members are charged with reviewing the “adequacy of law enforcement training, policy and operations, specifically related to cultural, racial and community relations;” as well as studying the “processes for accountability, discipline, removal and decertification of officers who do not meet standards, including an evaluation for the creation and implementation of a statewide, public database of complaints and resolutions concerning law enforcement officers.” The executive order outlines additional duties, which can be found here.
The task force is expected to deliver a final report to Hutchinson by Dec. 31, 2020.
Hutchinson has named 15 individuals specifically to the task force with four unspecified individual listed. The unspecified individual are representatives from the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police, the Arkansas Sheriff’s Association, Arkansas Black Mayor’s Association and Arkansas State Police. The executive order also allows Hutchinson to appoint additional citizens as he “deems necessary.”
Fred Weatherspoon, deputy director of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy, will chair the task force.
The full list of task force members is below:
- Fred Weatherspoon, Deputy Director of the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy
- Percy Wilburn, Vice Chairman of Arkansas Commission of Law Enforcement Standards and Training;
- Jami Cook, Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety;
- Shirley Washington, Mayor of Pine Bluff;
- James Sanders, Mayor of Blytheville;
- Tim Helder, Sheriff of Washington County;
- Scott Hamilton, CEO and President of Urban League of the State of Arkansas;
- Rosa Velasquez, Arkansas United;
- KenDrell Collins, Assistant Federal Public Defender;
- Bob McMahan, Arkansas Office of Prosecutor Coordinator;
- Jimmy Warren, Citizen Activist, Conway;
- Emma Davis, Citizen Activist, Van Buren;
- Tim Campbell, Citizen Activist, Little Rock;
- Layla Holloway, Citizen Activist, Van Buren;
- Representative from Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police;
- Representative from Arkansas Sheriff’s Association;
- Representative from Arkansas Black Mayor’s Association;
- Representative from Arkansas State Police;
- Additional citizens as the Governor deems necessary.
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