Earlier this month, I was honored to be sworn in as a member of Newark’s Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), an independent body tasked with reviewing the policies, practices, and actions of local police to help ensure officers are held accountable to the communities they are meant to serve.
At the ACLU of New Jersey, we are committed to advancing racial justice for all New Jerseyans. That includes holding law enforcement accountable for their abuses of power, which disproportionately harm Black and brown communities. I’m hopeful that in serving on Newark’s CCRB, I will be able to deliver the meaningful community oversight that the people of Newark deserve.
But, at the same time, I know that even in deploying every tool at its disposal, Newark’s CCRB can – and should – have more power to act in the interest of the community.
At its inception in 2015, Newark’s CCRB set a national example for its potential to provide comprehensive and meaningful checks on law enforcement in a city plagued by misconduct and abuse within its police department.
However, in ruling on a court challenge brought by the police lobby in 2020, the New Jersey Supreme Court placed limits on the powers of Newark’s CCRB – including removing its ability to issue subpoenas and carry out simultaneous investigations. In its decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court made it clear that to ensure CCRBs retained those powers, a legislative fix would be required.
While Newark’s CCRB has continued operating amid these limitations, these restrictions hinder its ability to provide comprehensive police accountability.
That’s why the ACLU-NJ is calling on lawmakers – as well as New Jersey’s gubernatorial candidates – to support empowering all 564 municipalities across the state to create civilian review boards with meaningful oversight authority, and restore the powers initially held by Newark’s CCRB at its founding.
Creating CCRBs with meaningful community oversight of police is a critical step toward building a safer future for all New Jerseyans. Police misconduct is a nationwide epidemic, and community representation and departmental reform are just some of the efforts needed on the broader path to justice.
As a member of Newark’s CCRB, I hope to work alongside community members to encourage accountability, reform, and transparency within the local police department. And I’m hopeful that one day soon every municipality in New Jersey will have the freedom to create their own CCRB, too.
