Nashville’s Metro Council will vote Tuesday night to fill several open seats on the watchdog board that oversees the police department.
After a rocky start the past few years, the Community Oversight Board is picking up momentum and now has the power to suggest policy changes and to recommend discipline for officers accused of misconduct. The group was created in 2018 despite resistance from those in law enforcement who say ordinary people shouldn’t judge how police do their jobs.
One thing council members will be considering at Tuesday’s meeting is whether each nominee can be fair when reviewing cases that could be controversial, including investigations into a record-setting 10 shootings by police last year.
One nominee is Jamel Campbell-Gooch, a current board member who has faced some scrutiny for criticizing police on social media. Campbell-Gooch is a community organizer from North Nashville, and he has not shied from sharing his personal feelings about law enforcement — especially after his cousin was shot by a Metro officer in December.
police & surveillance are forever expanding
developers and the fraternal order of police control our politics
average rent $1785.00 plus
the only way to fix this organizing
if you’ve ever thought about joining an organization the time is now!
— Jamel Campbell-Gooch (@nashvillered) January 19, 2022
Campbell-Gooch was also outspoken during the board’s conversations about legislation passing through the Metro Council to expand the police department’s use of license plate readers. The board voted to oppose license plate readers, though council members ultimately passed the legislation.
Walter Holloway is also hoping to be re-appointed to the board. He is a Black former officer who likes to draw on his years at MNPD to inform other members about the inner workings of the department. But he has also stressed the importance of representing Nashvillians in their decisions.
“The board represents the people in the community. The people in the community voted for this board,” Holloway said during a contentious discussion about license plate readers at a meeting in December. “Either we’re going to stand for them or we’re not. And if we’re not going to stand for the community, then we need to disband.”
The council will also vote on two new nominees who have been recommended by community organizations.
Michael Milliner is a real estate agent and member of Nashville’s chapter of the NAACP. In his application, Milliner said he hoped serving on the COB would allow him to “improve law enforcement effectiveness and community relations.”
Milliner said he has volunteered with several criminal justice reform initiatives, including expungement clinics and safe surrender events. He also touted extensive experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements during his years as a union leader for a local chapter of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees in Southern California.
The fourth nominee is Maxine Spencer, a Black trans woman whose dad and uncle are both former officers. Spencer is an organizer with Workers’ Dignity who wrote in her application that she has “a solid grasp on community issues with policing in Nashville and can speak to where folks in the community likely are feeling when it comes to these issues.”
Spencer said she hopes to also provide her perspective on the intersection of criminal justice and LGBTQ+ issues, as well as the unique struggles low-income workers face in the legal system.
Council members will choose three people for the board, which means one nominee won’t make the cut. The new members will start at the board’s next meeting later this month.
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