The public oversight board has to review some conduct because several offices has made it known that it was “unbecoming.” This can connect a domestic violence case with a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s deputy.

The Citizen’s Review Board had gone two hours and beyond in a closed-door executive session where an investigation through several Wichita Police Department officers. This had been a continuation to hearing beginning last month.

From the end of Thursday’s meeting on, the board will deliberate. The board will announce new case reviews at its next meeting.

Why Is This Such a Problem That an Oversight Board Had to Get Involved?

Jay Fowler, the Wichita Citizen’s Review Board Chair, said, “we look at the evidence the police department has involving a matter of discipline. We can ask questions, get information, review evidence and then make recommendations or not, as the case may be.”

The agenda, as little-known as it is, is about how eight police officers have been under scrutinization. Since there had been such evidence like a domestic violence case and a text group where WPD said the officer was “unbecoming.”

The police have released little information to the public about eight officer-disciplinary cases since they are a personnel matter. What we know came from the agenda for Thursday’s night’s meeting

“A report could be (made) public A report wouldn’t identify officers (because) that’s still confidential under the city’s rules, but it could describe the essence of what we found and then any recommendations we made.”

The Wichita Citizen’s Review Board is meeting again March 24. At that point, the oversight board will make its final decision known. Whether it will involve other officers or just the one is unknown as of now.

At Wichita Car Transport, we support the board’s inquiry into police behavior. If the board decides that the officer’s conduct was unacceptable, then we hope that the department relieves him of his duty. Either way, the department should dole out justice as best it can.