In the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin last summer, Carrboro’s Town Council approved a resolution containing steps to advance racial equity in law enforcement and public safety. One of those steps was the intent to establish a community task force on public safety.
On Tuesday evening, just hours after a Minnesota jury declared Chauvin guilty on murder charges, the town council unanimously approved this task force’s charge.
Since the council formally expressed their intent to institute the task force on June 18, 2020, town council member Damon Seils has lead the effort to draft the charge for it with the help of town council members Randee Haven-O’Donnell and Sammy Slade.
“The three of us have an enormous belief in our own community and the authentic engagement of people within it who want to do the best we can with our own model of community safety,” O’Donnell said during the town council meeting on Tuesday.
The task force will be comprised of two to three town council members and five to seven Carrboro residents that have personal or professional experience with the criminal legal system, human services, social work, community building in marginalized populations, or other related areas. In addition, this advisory board will be assisted by a team of staff liaisons from the Housing and Community Development Department, the Police Department, the Recreation, Parks & Cultural Resources Department, and other areas determined by the town manager.
The approved charge for the task force says the group will review best practices and consider a range of topics concerning the safety and well-being of Carrboro residents. These topics include racial disparities in law enforcement and the criminal justice system, court diversion and deflection programs and alternatives to relying on the town’s public safety professionals for human service and wellness needs. The task force will also coordinate with the county government and other jurisdictions to strengthen the programs and services that keep communities safe.
Additionally, the group may also consider ways to achieve the town’s bias-free policing goals and avenues to improve upon the recruiting, training, and retainment of a racially equitable public safety workforce.
Within 12 to 18 months of its members being appointed, the task force shall present concrete and feasible recommendations to the town council that will promote racial equity in law enforcement and the criminal justice system and improve the safety and well-being of all Carrboro residents. These recommendations will inform the town’s budget and community investment decisions going forward.
Through a series of shared learning sessions, the task force will work to educate the public about existing institutional and community-based public safety and wellness resources as well as learn from residents and experts about the safety needs and interests that can be better addressed with alternative resources.
“This task force represents hope,” town council member Susan Romaine said during Tuesday’s meeting. “I think we all agree we have a lot of respect for our police department and the policing that they do, but there are always opportunities to make things better and I think that will come through this task force.”
The town clerk will receive applications for the task force for at least two weeks, and the town council will make appointments from these applicants six weeks from the date of the meeting at the latest.
The full agenda from Tuesday’s meeting can be found on the Town’s website, and the recording of the virtual meeting can be viewed on the town’s YouTube Channel.
Photo via the Carrboro Police Department.
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