Dear Athens Clarke County Mayor and Commission

As a concerned citizen, I support the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement and Oconee Street United Methodist Church, Athens For Everyone and Athens Immigration Rights Coalition demands for a Community Police Advisory (review) Board to ensure transparency, accountability, and fair policing.

By establishing a CPAB everyone will have a seat at the table, especially those impacted the most by these issues. We see such a process and any resulting Community Board(s), as focused not just on responding to possible police misconduct, but also as actively promoting ways to increase the trust, transparency, and relations necessary to ensure a safe community for all members of Athens-Clarke County.

Thus we’re requesting two immediate actions:
First, initiate a process that ensures this board represents the community members most affected by policing.

Second, commit to seeing that this group/board has investigative and recommending powers and a budget to achieve its purposes.

Based on research and co-existing models in various cities, for this board to truly be effective, we demand that:

1) appointment to the committee in a way that reflects the demographics of people who are arrested

2) ensure a budget to fund hearings, investigations

3) receive complaints from individuals

4) receive input from individuals and organizations

5) ability to subpoena witnesses

6) hold public hearings

7) issue findings of facts and concrete recommendations

8) receive responses from the chief of police.

We the undersigned members of the Athens community, including; Athens organizations; and community stakeholders are requesting that Athens Clarke County Mayor and Commission establish a Community Policing Advisory (review) Board by July 2019.

Summary:
The DOJ report states: “In many communities in the United States, residents participate to some degree in overseeing their local law enforcement agencies. The degree varies. The most active citizen oversight boards investigate allegations of police misconduct and recommend actions to the chief or sheriff. Other citizen boards review the findings of internal police investigations and recommend that the chief or sheriff approve or reject the findings.

In still others, an auditor investigates the process by which the police or sheriff’s department accept or investigate complaints and reports to the department and the public on the thoroughness and fairness of the process.” -Data collect by Caroline Keegan

We believe such a thoughtful process of discussing, negotiating, and designing a Community Advisory (review) Board offers an opportunity to build on and expand the strides made in recent years toward community-engaged policing in Athens-Clarke County.

We believe that it is imperative that a Community Advisory (review) Board be inclusive of all residents of Athens, Clarke County including non-citizens. In this sense, we understand the term citizen to mean any resident stakeholder in the community.

We see such a process, and any resulting Community Board(s), as focused not just on responding to possible police misconduct, but also as actively promoting ways to increase the trust, transparency, and relations between officers and community members.

Thus, I support these demands and look forward to seeing our new government body to establish a community policing advisory board.

Sincerely Yours,​