Woonsocket Radio News Room

STATE HOUSE – The special legislative task force to review and provide recommendations on policies pertaining to the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBOR) is scheduled to meet Wednesday.

The meeting will be held virtually at Wednesday, Aug. 26, at 3 p.m. The meeting will include discussions of a state-by-state overview of LEOBOR statutes, a recent effort by the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association to collect information on LEOBOR-involved proceedings, and a proposed draft survey from the task force

The State House remains closed to the public as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing will be live streamed at www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV and televised on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox on Channels 15 and 61, in high definition on Cox Channel 1061, on Full Channel on Channel 15 and on Channel 34 by Verizon subscribers.

The task force, led by Sen. Harold M. Metts, is to comprehensively study and provide recommendations on the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBOR), to ensure accountability and protection against misconduct. Adopted in Rhode Island in 1976, the LEOBOR protects officers accused of misconduct, preventing them from being immediately fired or put on leave without pay, and allowing their continued employment to be decided by a panel of other police officers.

The 13-member task force includes:

·         Senator Metts

·         Sen. Cynthia A. Coyne (D-Dist. 32, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence)

·         Sen. Gordon E. Rogers (R-Dist. 21, Foster, Coventry, Scituate, West Greenwich)

·         Attorney General Peter F. Neronha

·         State Police Superintendent Col. James M. Manni

·         Providence Police Chief Col. Hugh T. Clements Jr.

·         Rhode Island Human Rights Commission Executive Director Michael Évora

·         NAACP Providence Branch President James Vincent

·         Anthony Capezza Jr., representing the Rhode Island AFL-CIO

·         Latino Policy Institute Director Marcela Betancur

·         Providence External Review Board Executive Director Jose F. Batista

·         Rev. Howard M. Jenkins Jr.

·         Rev. Chontell N. Washington

 

The resolution creating the task force calls for it to study protection of the rights of residents, conduct and accountability responsibilities, police relations with racial and ethnic minority communities, police management, disciplinary procedures, enhanced training for cultural competency and mental health, and diversity in all law enforcement agencies. The task force is to report to the Senate by Feb. 9, 2021.

Opening statements are expected Monday in former President Trump's criminal trial in New York. The six alternate jurors have been seated and the 12 jurors are already in place. The former President is accused of falsifying business records in order to cover up payments allegedly made to an adult film star just prior to the 2016 election.       New York police say the man who set himself on fire outside the Donal Trump trial drove from Florida to New York City earlier this week. The man had some papers with him that detailed conspiracy theories involving local politics. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.       President Biden is taking jabs at Donald Trump while rallying union workers in Washington, D.C. Biden delivered remarks at an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers conference on Friday, where he said some people, including Trump, "learned the best way to get rich is inherit it." He also said those people " learn that paying taxes is for working people, not the super wealthy."        The House is expected to vote for final passage of House Speaker Mike Johnson's foreign aid package over the weekend. The House approved a rule vote today to begin debate on individual bills to provide military aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. In an unusual move, Democrats voted with Republicans to advance the legislation as many conservatives voted no.        The FAA and United Airlines are investigating a video that appears to show a Colorado Rockies staff member in the cockpit during a flight. The incident happened during the team's April 10th chartered flight from Denver to Toronto. In the video posted on social media that has since been deleted, an unauthorized person appears to sit in the pilot's seat. United Airlines says at least two pilots have been removed from the job.       Horror film "Abigail" is looking to take the top spot at this weekend's box office. It's expected to make between 12-million and 15-million-dollars in its first weekend. "Abigail" is expected to just beat out last week's winner "Civil War" for first place.       

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