In a 6-2 vote, Rev. James Kirkwood was elected to serve as the board’s Chairman.
Credit: WATN Published: 1:19 PM CST December 11, 2020 Updated: 1:19 PM CST December 11, 2020
MEMPHIS, Tenn. The Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) held a virtual election to select new board officers on Tuesday, December 8th. In a 6-2 vote, Rev. James Kirkwood was elected to serve as the board’s Chairman.
“I’m a citizen first, so I’m very dedicated to the community that I’ve worked 30 years to protect,” said Kirkwood. “I will listen to them and remain pro-community.”
Rev. Kirkwood served on the Memphis Police Department for over 31 years and retired as a Colonel in 2017. The new CLERB Chairman is also the Executive Director of the Memphis Christian Pastors Network, where he works to unify and encourage collaborations among local churches to address racial division and the decrease of poverty in our county.
Opinion | Will a retired MPD officer as chairman of CLERB help or hinder the group? | Otis Sanford
Local 24 news political analyst and commentator Otis Sanford shares his point of view on the selection of a retire MPD officer as chairman of CLERB. Author: Otis Sanford (Local 24) Published: 2:02 PM CST December 9, 2020 Updated: 5:33 PM CST December 9, 2020
MEMPHIS, Tenn. There are two different ways to look at the selection of a retired Memphis police officer as chairman of the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board. One view is that with former Police Colonel James Kirkwood leading CLERB, officers accused of abusive conduct will get the benefit of the doubt. The other view is that Kirkwood’s leadership will likely make police brass – and even rank and file officers – more cooperative.