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Local Faith Leaders Urge South Bend Mayor To Move Forward With Police Discipline Matrix

Annacaroline Caruso / WVPE Public Radio

Faith leaders met with South Bend Mayor James Mueller Thursday Morning to push for the adoption of a discipline matrix for South Bend Police Officers. It’s a document that outlines how an officer would be penalized or disciplined for different violations on the job. 

A group prayed together outside the County-city building to show support for the matrix while Faith leaders urged Mayor Mueller to take action.

Nicole MacLaughlin is a member of Faith in Indiana and she joined in on the prayer. She says the group has been asking for the discipline matrix to be adopted since the shooting death of Eric Logan nearly one year ago.

“We’ve been pushing for the last year for a clear written down system," she says. "If there is a system that says you will be punished and lose your job for racist action, that is going to help.”

After the meeting, some faith leaders say they were disappointed with Mueller’s lack of action with police reform in South Bend. The group calls on Mueller to announce a timeline for the matrix by Tuesday, the one year anniversary of the shooting death of Logan.

Mueller says details of the discipline matrix are still being worked out. He says the coronavirus pandemic slowed progress on the matrix.

“We’re moving as quickly as possible and we hope to have it as soon as possible but we’re not going to announce something before it’s ready,” he says.

Mueller says he hopes the matrix will be adopted in July.

Contact Annacaroline at acaruso@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @AnnacarolineC16

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