news-record.com

GREENSBORO - For the time being, it'll be status quo for the Greensboro Police Department and those who manage it.

On Monday, the City Council quashed several suggestions that would have:

* Placed the council in charge of the police chief.

* Given more power to the board that reviews citizen complaints of officers.

* Created a civil service board to oversee both police and fire.

At a City Council briefing session, a majority of council members said it did not want to make changes recommended by Councilwoman Trudy Wade and Councilman Mike Barber. Barber was absent.

Council members also cut short a discussion about whether the city police department and the county sheriff's office could be combined.

Some of the changes would have required a city charter change that mandated adoption by the state legislature.

The council considered these issues Monday night as it approved its 2009 legislative agenda.

Last month, Barber and Wade floated the idea of the civil service board and a complaint review committee with subpoena powers as a way to make the police department more accountable to residents.

Greensboro's complaint review committee, which is under the human relations commission, hears complaints from residents who accuse officers of misconduct or unfair treatment.

The group does not have the power to discipline officers.

In the past, community members have asked that the committee have the power to subpoena witnesses.

Councilwoman T. Dianne Bellamy-Small said Monday the committee could be strengthened without a legislative change. She recommended adjusting the makeup of the committee to make it more representative of the community.

But she said adding subpoena power might not have the intended effect.

"You are going to end up putting pressure on people who may not want to get involved," she said.

Barber and Wade also asked that the council create a new civil service board that would hear police discipline cases and oversee hiring and firing of officers.

They also asked that the council be put in charge of the police chief.

The city manager currently supervises the chief.

Both those recommendations failed without much discussion Monday.

At the briefing, Wade also asked that the City Council consider options to combine the police and sheriff's office.

"I'm paying twice for it. I am just trying to find some ways to combine the services," she said.

The idea met with both support and opposition from council members, but the issue was put off for a full debate at a later meeting.

Wade asked that it be put to a task force to consider it.

Contact Amanda Lehmert at 373-7075 or amanda.lehmert@news-record.com.