Op-Ed: The Athens PSCOB Is Failing the Community It Was Meant to Serve

Written by Steve Williams – AADM Justice Reform Committee Member

The Police Civilian Oversight Board (PSCOB) in Athens was established to hold Law Enforcement accountable and foster transparency, fairness, and justice in policing. However, the past eight months have shown a disturbing shift that threatens the Board’s ability to serve its purpose effectively.

Over that period of time, the PSCOB has grown older, Whiter, and increasingly out of touch with those most impacted by Law Enforcement activity. Originally, the Board comprised five White members and four Black members. Today, the Board has seven White members and two Black members, a dramatic shift following four resignations—three of which were Black members. One of the remaining Black members, Kiana Sims, has missed the last four meetings, leaving a significant gap in participation from voices of color. 

This transformation raises serious concerns about whether the Board adequately represents  the diverse perspectives it once did, particularly when addressing issues that disproportionately affect Black and minority communities.

This imbalance on the Board is not just a matter of optics—it is a matter of failing representation. When oversight boards lose the trust of the communities they serve, they lose their ability to be effective. This shift in the Board’s composition does not reflect the needs and interests of the broader community.

Leadership and support for the PSCOB have been woefully lacking. The Operational Analysis office, led by Mr. Hassemer, has been ineffective at best and obstructive at worst. Instead of assisting the Board in fulfilling its mission, Mr. Hassemer has erected roadblocks. 

1. He did not involve the Board in setting its budget for this year and often behaves as though his role is merely a liaison between the Board and the Commission. 

2. His frequent directives on the Board’s limitations, what the Board “cannot do” and his lack of practical support are stifling progress. For the Board to succeed, it needs a full time Monitor to provide guidance and resources, not more barriers. To be fair to Mr. Hassemer, he did not apply for the position of PSCOB monitor, which was added to the job description of the ACC Internal Auditor during the hiring process. 

3. Neither Mr. Hassemer nor either of the Operational Analysts he has since hired have the background, experience or qualifications recommended for the Monitor position by the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (“NACOLE”,the national entity that Athens-Clarke County paid thousands of dollars to assist it in the creation of PSCOB), the Mayor’s Task Force (tasked with making recommendations to the Mayor and Commission on creation of PSCOB) and the Board itself (which the Commission’s Government Operations Committee asked for recommendations before posting for the position.)   

4. In a recent meeting, Mr. Hassemer indicated that his office had been allocated an additional position for the coming year, beginning in January.  Mr. Hassemer should use this opportunity to add someone with the experience and expertise to fully support the Board’s mission and work.

5. One of the most glaring deficiencies in the Board’s performance is the absence of any significant community outreach, a critical component of any police oversight effort. 

National experts from NACOLE and the Executive Director of Atlanta’s Review Board have stressed that community engagement is crucial to achieving accountability in Law Enforcement. Without it, the PSCOB risks becoming an insular body that is detached from the very community it was created to serve.  This function should be prepared and executed by the full-time Monitor, with oversight from the Board.  To date, this task has been left to the all volunteer Board and has predictably languished.

Training is another major shortfall. The Board has not received any formal training on how to review completed Law Enforcement investigations, a key function of its mandate. Given his lack of experience, the Auditor is unlikely to be able to provide this essential training, leaving the Board ill-equipped to perform its duties.  

In a recent public hearing on a complaint, the Board engaged in a robust discussion and review of the police investigation and did its best to fulfill its obligations.  But it did so without a protocol and procedure to follow and a clear vision of the scope of its review.  An experienced and knowledgeable Monitor would be able to facilitate the creation of protocols, practices and procedures to guide the Board in its review of complaints.

The Board’s failure to investigate Law Enforcement policies and procedures is even more concerning, particularly in light of ongoing complaints from the community on issues such as:

1. Traffic stops, 
2. The use of tasers, 
3. The prohibition of visitation at the jail, 
4. The treatment of suspects, arrestees and inmates with mental health conditions, and 
5. The shackling of misdemeanor defendants during pretrial proceedings are serious and ongoing concerns that affect thousands of citizens a year.

The ACC Commission empowered the PSCOB to review and investigate topics like these. Yet, they remain unexamined and unchallenged. Athens needs more from its Civilian Oversight Board. We cannot allow the PSCOB to become an ineffective body whose primary accomplishment is attendance at meetings. The community, particularly its most vulnerable members, depends on this Board to ensure that Law Enforcement is fair, just, and accountable. To do that, the Board must have the support and resources necessary, beginning with a full-time, experienced and knowledgeable Monitor dedicated to the PSCOB. 

A year and a half ago, the ACC Commission, contrary to the recommendations of experts it had employed, made a decision not to hire a full-time, experienced Monitor for the PSCOB, simply assigning the role to the ACC Internal Auditor. It was a cheap way of addressing the situation that has been an abject failure and a betrayal of the all volunteer Board members who have been trying to make the Board operational without the support and resources they need and deserve. Clearly, it is beyond time for the ACC Commissioners to provide the PSCOB with the staffing and resources it needs to succeed. 

To stay up to date with what’s happening with PSCOB or to help the AADM continue to demand for police accountability and transparency join the movement.