ROCK HILL, S.C. — Those who attended the peaceful march that was held at Rock Hill’s Fountain Park over the weekend is urging the city of Rock Hill to implement a citizens review board to put a stop to racial injustice.
A citizens review board is a system that allows citizens to investigate allegations of police misconduct.
Councilwoman Nikita Jackson was at the march where she was asked if she’d support a review board.
Jackson says she’s always in favor of anything that benefits the community, but before she can announce anything officially, she wants to establish what the review board will look like, who should be a part of it and consider other cities’ citizens review boards.
The councilwoman says “if we fail to plan, we plan to fail”.
She adds, just like any other African American mother, she wants her son to be out in the community without being harassed and return home each night.
“We’re going to go back to the city and with the Friendship 9. They planned for a whole year to make a very impactful day that changed a whole trajectory of civil rights movement here in the City of Rock Hill,” Jackson said. “So what I hope people are not thinking that this is going to be an overnight success, what I’m looking for is people that’s willing to sit down, to roll up your sleeves, to lace your boots up and to put in some hard work.”
“The Rock Hill Police Department is open to any ideas and initiatives that will help improve community and police relations,” Lt. Michael Chavis said. “We want those partnerships. Our officers don’t just visit Rock Hill. They live here, they’re friends live here. They’re family lives here. They’re children go to school here, so all the staff at the police department is invested in Rock Hill and whatever we can do to make this the best city possible, that’s what we are going to do.”
Lt. Chavis says since July of last year, the department has held 306 events with officers and the community to show folks that police are people too.
No word yet on when exactly the citizens review board will be presented to council.
