The fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery is fueling calls to disband the Glynn County, Ga., Police Department, an agency that has been controversial for years, the Wall Street Journal reports. 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 Arbery 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 want the department to be shut down and for the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office to take over. Glynn County has both an elected sheriff, who oversees the jail and courthouse security, and an appointed police chief, whose department handles patrolling and criminal investigations.
State Sen. William Ligon Jr. filed a bill before Arbery’s killing that would pave the way for Glynn County voters to recommend whether to abolish the police department. Glynn County police have faced criticism for not arresting Gregory McMichael, a former employee of the department, and his son, Travis for the killing. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation charged them on May 7. In 2018, the police department lost its certifications with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement. Butch Ayers of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police said the Glynn County Police Department “fell out of compliance” with several of the group’s standards, including documentation of training and required audits of the evidence room. In 2017, Glynn County police supervisors learned that an officer in a narcotics unit had an improper relationship with a confidential informant, but failed to investigate and covered it up, a grand jury said.