Decatur City Council approves contract for third party police department review

DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) – As promised by Decatur City Council President Jacob Ladner, the council members wasted little time during Monday’s regular meeting to approve the contract for an outside review of its police department procedures.

Last month, Ladner announced plans to solidify a contract with Green Research and Technology to fully investigate multiple complaints about the police department from community activists and some members of the city council after the shooting death of Stephen Perkins.

Tory Green, chief executive officer of Green Research, told News 19 that his team has already started trying to gain access to every current and former policy the department has had for its officers.

“Let’s find out the truth because there needs to be an impartial investigation of some of the allegations that are taking place, and that’s what we are here to do,” said Green. “We’re here to give an impartial review of and an assessment done on the police department.”

Nicholas Perkins, the brother of Stephen Perkins, says he fully supports the review, particularly after the department’s mishandling of the body cam footage of his brother’s shooting during a gag order hearing in the murder case against former officer Mac Marquette.

Several members of the department’s command staff, along with Chief Todd Pinion, were also questioned about the department’s handling of footage from the Perkins shooting during a gag order hearing in the murder case against former Decatur Police Officer Mac Marquette. That video leaked to the public in March.

“It’s a shame that my brother’s situation had to result in this type of action and for it to take such a long time,” Perkins said. “But we are here and we’re glad and we look forward to the results that Tory Green and his team bring to this case.”

Both Mayor Tab Bowling and Decatur Police Chief Todd Pinion said they are in favor of this outside review. The Green team’s investigation will officially begin on Tuesday morning.

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