Cobb County commissioners are expected to take a step Tuesday night to address concerns about police misconduct.
In light of some racially charged allegations, they are voting on whether to authorize a contract to study the structure of the police department. The move comes in the wake of two high-profile incidents in south Cobb County involving a white Cobb County officer and two African American motorists, one of whom is a Cobb County commissioner.
A police dashcam documented one of the incidents. It showed Officer Maurice Lawson berating a black motorist during a traffic stop last November, which became a flashpoint for Cobb County residents demanding reform.
Local resident Ben Williams was among them.
Weeks before the dashcam video emerged, Cobb County Commissioner Lisa Cupid had accused Officer Lawson of racially profiling her. Combined, the two incidents cost Lawson his job, and yielded the proposal to study the Cobb County Police Department’s overall organization.
The proposal is to spend $93,000 for a policy assessment conducted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police – with an eye on upgrading the department’s outlook on race relations.
Williams said he views it as “An important step."
“Looking internally at one’s self is the beginning of saying we need to stop doing this; we need to start doing this, and we need to do some other things better," he said.
Williams hopes Cobb will approve the study, then take another step – approving a citizens’ review board.
