Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.
As a “retiring” member of the Bennington Selectboard, deeply involved in the issue of police accountability and trust, I would like to remind VTDigger and all the readers that no one can speak for the town except the select board meeting in open session.
I was one of the members who asked our two senators for a legislative answer to the question of how a town selectboard could delegate a citizen’s review committee to review complaints (and compliments) about police officers in the same way that selectboards are currently able. I asked this because we were advised by our town attorney, correctly, I believe, that current state law does not allow for such a delegation of power.
The result at the moment is the proposed S.75. This is permissive legislation at its very best. It would not require any selectboard to make any particular decision that they did not wish. I would personally not choose all of the options that the bill in its current form would allow. I would not choose to give a review committee the power of subpoena nor the power to hire an independent lawyer.
But I would like to give the bill a full airing. Neither the town manager nor the select board chair were stating more than their personal opinion, which is their right. We are evidently not of one mind on the board. Let’s keep trying for accountability, for with accountability comes greater trust and effectiveness.
Bruce Lee-Clark
Bennington
Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: S.75 is a good first try at statewide accountability.