HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-21-2026 CPRB Meeting MinutesCOMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW BOARD (CPRB)
Official Minutes, Regular Meeting, Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Council Chambers | City Hall, 215 S. Doctor M.L.K. Jr Blvd, South Bend, IN 46601
I. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Komonique Thomas, Acting Chair, following
confirmation of a quorum.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present:
• Cheryl Ashe
• Sharon Banicki
• Dé Bryant
• Marla Godette
• George Jones
• Komonique Thomas
• Luella Webster
Staff/Officials Present:
• Pastor Charles L. King III, Director – Community Police Review Office
• Attorney Robert Masters – CPRB Legal Counsel
• Corporation Counsel Sandra Kennedy – City of South Bend
• Veronica Pitt-Payne – Office of the City Clerk
III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (March 19, 2026)
Motion by Member Banicki to approve the minutes.
Second: Member Bryant
Result: Motion passed by voice vote.
IV. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA (May 21, 2026)
Motion by Member Banicki to approve the agenda.
Second: Member Thomas
Result: Motion passed by voice vote.
V. ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Attorney Masters opened nominations for the role of Board President.
Member Godette nominated Member Thomas.
Member Thomas nominated Member Godette, who declined the nomination.
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Motion by Member Godette to elect Member Thomas as President
Second: Member Banicki
Result: Motion passed by voice vote.
Attorney Masters opened nominations for the role of Board Vice President.
President Thomas nominated Member Godette, who declined the nomination.
Member Godette nominated Member Jones, who declined the nomination.
Member Banicki nominated Member Bryant.
Motion by Member Banicki to elect Member Bryant as Vice President
Second: President Thomas
Result: Motion passed by voice vote.
Attorney Masters opened nominations for the role of Board Secretary.
President Thomas nominated Member Godette, who declined the nomination.
Member Jones nominated Member Ashe, who declined the nomination.
Member Godette nominated Member Webster, who declined the nomination.
Vice President Bryant nominated Member Banicki.
Motion by Vice President Bryant to elect Member Banicki as Secretary
Result: Motion passed by voice vote.
VI. CASE DISPOSITION
Case No. CPRB2025-013
Pastor King read the case summary and stated that the officer was Exonerated
by South Bend Police Department (SBPD) Internal Affairs.
Roll Call Vote:
Agree Disagree
Ashe
Banicki
Bryant
Godette
Jones
Thomas
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Webster
Result: Agree With the Findings (7-0).
Board Members discussed possible interventions for repeated domestic
disturbances involving juveniles. Points of discussion included incident
prevention, engaging the youth crisis unit, and responding to calls at known
addresses with a juvenile deescalation plan in place.
Case No. CPRB2025-021
Pastor King read the case summary and stated that the complaint was
Sustained by SBPD Internal Affairs.
Roll Call Vote:
Agree Disagree
Ashe
Banicki
Bryant
Godette
Jones
Thomas
Webster
Result: Agree With the Findings (7-0).
Board Members discussed how the interaction could have been handled better
by the responding officer. Points of discussion included communicating with
other officers at the scene, verifying that preliminary breathalyzer test (PBT)
results are interpreted correctly, and respecting the complainant’s time after
realizing the error.
VII. PUBLIC COMMENT
President Thomas opened the floor for public comments, and nobody spoke.
VIII. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
Member Ashe followed up on her previous recommendation to develop a
specialized youth deescalation training. She recommended setting a deadline
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and working with experts in juvenile psychology to draft the policy.
Pastor King suggested researching the youth policies in other cities, such as Fort
Wayne and Grand Rapids.
Attorney Masters outlined the Board’s options for holding a special meeting on
the issue.
Pastor King suggested forming a committee.
Member Godette proposed that Member Ashe should oversee the Juvenile
Deescalation Committee.
IX. NEXT MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
President Thomas announced that the next regular meeting will be held on
Thursday, July 16, 2026.
X. ADJOURNMENT
Motion by Member Ashe to adjourn the meeting.
Second: Member Webster
Result: Motion passed by voice vote.
Meeting adjourned at 6:55 PM.
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