In June 2020, during the country’s reaction to the murder of George Floyd and racial justice protests, the Town of Carrboro passed a resolution changing some policing policies. In that legislation, the town council also pledged to establish a task force to discuss community safety. More than a year later, that task force is officially created, charged and has a membership.
Carrboro’s resolution last summer advanced its policies of de-escalation for police officers, taking measures like formally banning the use of chokeholds and the use of deadly force beyond any imminent deadly threats.
The goal of the Community Safety Task Force, though, is to take a step further in examining how to expand prevention and intervention strategies while improving racial equity in law enforcement.
At the latest Carrboro Town Council meeting on November 16, elected officials selected six residents to serve on the task force for the next year before submitting recommendations to the local government. Carrboro chose George Barrett, Barbara Fedders, Benjamin Gear, Madison Hayes, Frances Henderson and Mariela Hernandez for the group.
An additional resident member might be selected by the town council in January, according to Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle. She told 97.9 The Hill she’s pleased with the selection process and the members selected for the Community Safety Task Force.
“We wanted to make sure we got a really good group of applicants,” said Lavelle. “A lot of diversity, a lot of varied experience. We’re supposed to have five to seven residents who have professional expertise and/or lived experience in the criminal justice, legal system, human services, delivery, social work, public health or community building with marginalized populations.
But the task force is not just the group of residents. Lavelle said part of the goal is to have various town employees as part of the group to give voice to what resources can be added or changed.
“We also will have a couple of council members who will be liaisons,” said the mayor, “but we’ll also are going to have staff liaisons. From our housing and community development department, our police department, and our recreation, parks and cultural resources department. Our hope is that with all of those folks, with their expertise, experience and the lives they live, they’ll be able to work together really closely on the charge for the task force.”
Lavelle said she believes in the policies used by the Carrboro Police Department — not just ones adopted last year but that previously prioritized prevention and non-violent response. But the mayor said this task force could create strategies to potentially transform how community safety is approached by local government.
“I’m really proud of the work of our police department and the self-examination they’ve done: looking at statistics around stops, policies we have that could be rewritten in a way that are fairer and just, looking at bail-bond monies and looking at how they could be alleviated,” said Lavelle. “And then just other things [to still do] — essentially, looking at public safety beyond policing. Because it’s not just our police folks that need to be part of the solution. Engaging community members in the process and having honest conversation, I think, will help move us forward.”
To read the full charge of the Town of Carrboro’s Community Safety Task Force, click here.
Photo via the Carrboro Police Department/NextDoor.
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