By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis – A controversial plan to establish a civilian review board to investigate complaints against the St. Louis police department has taken a big step forward.
Wednesday, the city police board voted 4 to 1 in favor of a plan that allows Mayor Francis Slay to appoint all seven members to the panel.
The move angers some who want some of the members to be elected.
John Chasnoff with the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression says the vote thwarts a three-year effort to pass legislation in the Board of Aldermen.
"And this looks absolutely nothing like the agreements that were reached in that committee," Chasnoff said. "It's a further example of how they're trying to put on a veneer of dialogue and a veneer of public involvement when really this is just a proposal that was created completely by the police board."
Under state law, the Board of Aldermen does have the authority to establish its own civilian review board.
Chasnoff says it's possible that two competing boards could be created.