Chattanooga City Council appoints 5 out of 9 police advisory board members, hears mixed public comment on 2020 budget hearing

Councilor Anthony Byrd, left, speaks next to councilor Demetrus Coonrod during a meeting in the Chattanooga City Council chamber on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tenn. A proposed $263.8 million city budget for fiscal year 2020 includes funding for infrastructure upgrades. Councilor Anthony Byrd, left, speaks next to councilor Demetrus Coonrod during a meeting in the Chattanooga City Council chamber on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tenn. A proposed $263.8 million city budget for fiscal year 2020 includes funding for infrastructure upgrades.

By Rosana Hughes, Sarah Grace Taylor June 11, 2019 4 min read

Five of the nine members of Chattanooga’s recently formed Police Advisory Review Committee were approved at Tuesday’s city council meeting.

Council members began discussing the formation of an oversight board earlier this year after a series of allegations of police brutality and misconduct, including rape, sexual battery and the filmed beating of a 37-year-old man during a traffic stop in March 2018.

The creation of the board was approved last month. Since then, council members have been choosing who they want on the committee.

Nominees will need to show a track record of serving the people of Chattanooga for at least 10 years and will have to be confirmed by a majority council vote, according to the ordinance detailing the board’s functions.

So far, these are the people chosen to serve: