Ahmaud Arbery Shooting Spurs Calls to Disband Police Force

The fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in southeastern Georgia is fueling calls to disband the Glynn County Police Department, an agency that has been embroiled in controversy for years.

A grand jury last year faulted the department for a culture of coverup and abuse of power, prompting efforts to overhaul the agency that were gathering momentum when Mr. Arbery, a 25-year-old black man, was killed on Feb. 23. Four days after his death, another grand jury indicted Police Chief John Powell and three other current and former officers over alleged wrongdoing in a narcotics unit.

Some officials and residents are now calling for the department to be shut down and for the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office to take over. Glynn County has both an elected sheriff, whose office oversees the jail and courthouse security, and an appointed police chief, whose department handles patrolling and criminal investigations.

State Sen. William Ligon Jr., a Republican whose district includes the area where the shooting occurred, filed a bill before Mr. Arbery’s killing that would pave the way for Glynn County voters to weigh in on whether to abolish the police department. The measure would place a referendum on the ballot asking voters whether county commissioners should disband the department. The referendum would be for a recommendation, not an order.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ahmaud-arbery-shooting-spurs-calls-to-disband-police-force/ar-BB14aEBa?li=BBnb7Kz