VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — City leaders are in the home stretch of installing a new level of police accountability in Virginia Beach.
Last year, city council unanimously approved the creation of an 11-person civilian-based board that will look at investigations of misconduct and abuses of authority within law enforcement agencies.
Former Virginia Beach Chief of Police Alfred "Jake" Jacocks told 13News Now the four-person interviewing committee has another round of interviews set for Thursday, and it will again sit down with some of the dozens of applicants who've applied to be part of the board.
“About 40-45 applicants at this point, more applications came in last night," he said.
Jacocks mentioned one of the biggest challenges in the process is matching applicants to the racial, gender and age parameters set for the board. Based on suggestions by a previous Citizen's Review Panel task force -- one which Jacocks served on -- the newly created board will be made up based on the following racial parameters:
- White - 6
- African American - 2
- Hispanic or Latino - 1
- Asian, Hawaiian & Pacific Islander - 1
- Two or more races - 1
“At this point, we're in need of additional white female applicants to fill those boxes," he says.
He added that he's hopeful the committee might be able to present city council with a list of names by the end of the month.
“Those names will go forward to city council for them to consider. They can appoint all of them, some of them, or none of them," he says.
Last week, councilwoman Sabrina Wooten mentioned concerns about Jacocks' role as the committee's head, as well as the background process in which he came to that position.
"When I see an interview committee predominantly led by one particular council member [referencing council member Rosemary Wilson], then we're told who's on that committee, and then selecting former Police Chief Jake Jacocks, who the minority residents don't really have a favorable out view or outlook of him. Not saying he's a bad person, but that would not be their first choice of someone as a chair of an interview committee who's selecting some of the folks to be considered for this board," she said on October 4.
13News Now asked Jacocks for a response.
“I was offended. I think it was grossly unfair and unfounded," he says.
However, Jacocks noted the comment hasn't impacted the work relationship between him and councilwoman Wooten, who both serve on the four-person interview committee for the Citizen's Review Board along with fellow council member Barbara Henley and former police officer Cliff Rice.
“We’ve had one meeting since those comments, there were no issues, it’s been as it is as the other meetings.”
City council will still have the ultimate say after this interviewing process is over on who serves on the Citizen's Review Board.