What is Driving the Civil Service Review Board Bill for Greensboro, Winston-Salem?

There has been some reporting in the local media this week about a bill that was advanced and passed in the NC House of Representatives. It seeks to create Civil Service Review Boards for the cities of Greensboro and Winston-Salem.

When a city employee is fired or demoted, he or she could then appeal to this Board. A lawsuit in state Superior Court would be the last resort.

The Board would be comprised of people appointed by the respective City Council; the police chief and fire chief; and city employees. The final person on the Board would be appointed by the other Board members.

This bill seemed to come out of nowhere, but we are informed that it has been percolating for a while. If passed by the Senate, it will not require the governor’s signature since it is a local bill.

What drove this effort? The news reports I have seen are fairly silent on this question.

However, I wonder if the virulent, rampant anti-police sentiment that abounds is the driver. The city of Greensboro in particular is full of hate-filled people and activists who are eager to exact revenge on police officers who are doing their jobs.

The inclination to politicize police incidents– and for City Council members to throw aboard police officers in response to these awful forces– has crippled the local police department. It faces enormous recruitment challenges.

Perhaps the thinking is that this Board will give officers a more fair shake. But if it is comprised of people from the city of Greensboro who maintain some degree of local civic involvement, I wonder if that will be the case. This is, after all, a city that resides on the extreme left end of the ideological spectrum.

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2 thoughts on “What is Driving the Civil Service Review Board Bill for Greensboro, Winston-Salem?

  1. I sense that the elected leaders in Greensboro oppose the bill while those that represent affected employees support it.

    “This provides due process and transparency,” said Scott Mullins, the president of the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina, who told state lawmakers on Tuesday that the bill has “100% support” among firefighters in both cities.

    John Midgette, the executive director of the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, told state lawmakers on Tuesday that the existing grievance procedures in the cities amount to “fake due process.”

    “You are appealing to the people who have punished you and determined you are guilty,” he said.

    1. I am not sure why the firefighters have such an acute interest in this– except for the fact that their union is very active politically.

      And I agree that our corrupt city council wants to be able to hurt white police officers. That is a core part of their politics.

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