Amends the comprehensive community-police relationship act of 2015 to require an annual study by an outside agency chosen by the department.

Plain-English Summary

This bill proposes a change to Rhode Island's Comprehensive Community-Police Relationship Act, a law originally passed in 2015 that was designed to improve trust and transparency between law enforcement and the communities they serve. The update would require that an independent, outside agency — chosen by the relevant department — conduct a formal study of community-police relations on an annual basis. In other words, instead of relying solely on internal assessments, an outside organization would regularly review and report on how well police and communities are working together.

The bill would primarily affect Rhode Island residents, particularly those in communities that interact with local law enforcement, as well as police departments themselves. The goal of bringing in an outside agency is to provide a more objective, third-party perspective on community-police dynamics, which could lead to more trustworthy and transparent findings than if police departments evaluated themselves.

Currently, the bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which has recommended it be held for further study. This means the bill has not yet advanced and lawmakers are still weighing its details before deciding whether to move it forward.