LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The City of Louisville’s Civilian Review and Accountability Board is now operating, and they met for the first time Thursday morning.

Mayor Greg Fischer said the public safety in our city is at a crossroads and something needed to be done.

“It is fair for the people of Louisville to expect accountability and transparency and to know that they can trust the very systems that are meant to serve and protect them and that's why we're here, that's why we created the civilian review and accountability board,” Fischer said.

The 11-member board, selected by the mayor's office and approved by the Metro Council, includes faith leaders, law enforcement representatives, community activists and elected officials.

“It was important to me with all of my nominees that somebody from around the city can see somebody that looked like them on the board and maybe someone that thinks like them on the board and that's what we need for this board to have the credibility that it deserves,” Fischer said.

The inaugural board met for the first time Thursday, where members voted on the board's chair woman, Jennifer Green and vice chair-woman Kellie Watson for a one year term.

“I’m here to serve, I'm here because I love my community, I'm here because I understand what it's like to live on the other side of the train tracks and that part of me will always be who I am fundamentally,” Green said.

As members of the board, individuals are required to complete 40 hours of training within a three month period. 16 of those hours will include classroom training on various topics related to policing. Each member is required to complete 24 hours of ride along training in various patrol divisions, 12 hours completed during a day shift or a series of day shifts and the remaining 12 hours completed during the night shift or a series of night shifts.

Additional training topics not included in the ordinance consist of ethics, open records and open meeting training. Each member will have three months from their appointment date to complete the training.

“I have my own experience with police, I have suffered in situations, not in this country but I know what it is, I know how it is to move forward, I know how to find solutions and that's what I can put on the table,” Guillermo Sollano, civilian review board member said.

The board will ultimately oversee the work of the Inspector General’s office. Members will review and investigate alleged incidents of improper police misconduct.

“As the victim of gun violence within this community, I think that I have a perspective that's different because I never thought that I'd be going through the experiences that I've had to deal with over the last three years. Going to court and fighting for justice and quality in a sense that is completely different, finding myself in a position I never thought I was going to be in,” Kellie Watson, vice chair-woman said.

Chair-woman Green verbally designated vice-chairwoman Watson to be the representative for the Inspector General search committee. The search committee is responsible for interviewing and selecting applicants for the IG position. The top three candidates will be submitted to the mayor and then later appointed to go up for approval before the metro council.