Opinion: Changes to PARC tell a story of state overreach

Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy talks with family members and friends of Roger Heard Jr. A crowd attended the Chattanooga City Council, on Aug. 15, 2023, concerning the death of Roger Heard Jr. Heard was killed when three Chattanooga police officers attempted to serve warrants on him at a 3rd Street gas station on Aug. 11, 2023. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy talks with family members and friends of Roger Heard Jr. A crowd attended the Chattanooga City Council, on Aug. 15, 2023, concerning the death of Roger Heard Jr. Heard was killed when three Chattanooga police officers attempted to serve warrants on him at a 3rd Street gas station on Aug. 11, 2023.

By LeBron Hill October 12, 2023 4 min read

In an effort led mostly by Republican legislators, the General Assembly passed a bill earlier this year that essentially gutted the power of police oversight boards in the state.

The law was largely seen as another petty response by the GOP to Nashville’s decision to decline a bid to host the 2024 Republican National Convention. Repercussions from the law, however, extend beyond Nashville — all such police review/oversight boards across the state have been affected.

Count the Chattanooga Police Advisory and Review Committee (PARC) among them.

Unlike its counterpart in Nashville, PARC had different functions and frankly a better relationship with the police department.