A new advisory panel comprised of Columbus community members aims to bridge the gap between law enforcement and residents, fostering trust and transparency in light of past tensions.
A small group of Columbus community members could soon have a real impact on the future of the city's police department . The group was referred to the department by community advocates and ultimately selected by chief Elaine Bryant.
The purpose of the group is to enhance communication between officers and community members. Communication between Columbus police officers and the communities they serve has been a major issue in past years, especially in light of a series of officer involved shootings. Members of the chief's new advisory panel hope to break down some of those walls. This effort is not only about improving relations with police, but making neighborhoods safer as well. “I think the assignment of law enforcement is to protect and to serve the community. So, it’s important for them to listen to feedback, understand what the pulse of the community is, understand ways that they can serve the community better. It’s no secret that there’s been contention between law enforcement and the community for various reasons,” Pastor Michael Young of City of Grace Church said.“Truth and transparency are things that historically in my opinion law enforcement has struggled with,” Young told ABC 6. Young points to several examples, the protests of 2020 that saw clashes between officers and citizens, along with several high profile officer involved shootings. Including the deaths of “Our law enforcement officers are called to protect and serve the community. That is their job, hat is there role, that is their assignment. Without the community there is no need for them,” said Young. Young was one of those chosen for the chief's new advisory panel. Members have various backgrounds from non-profit leaders, to health advocates and business owners."If they can't trust us then they're never going to believe anything we say and they're not going to be comfortable bringing us situations that could be life or death situations," Bryant told ABC 6."We want to make sure they have a voice. That they really understand what's going on within the division. That they tell us what we're doing wrong.. that they tell us what we're doing right. We'd love to pass that information along to our officers. That engagement is really important," said Bryant. Members are on the ground, in local communities, providing valuable insight to open the lines of communication between chief Bryant, her command staff and the community.OSU student, education advocate, and community organizer Daizhon Cox is the youngest member of the panel. “From a community standpoint, a lot of times we’re left out of the loop and we don’t really understand the processes that it takes to be able to get certain information out to the public,” Cox said. Cox told ABC 6 that panel members will be pushing the department to take quick action on investigations involving officers and community concerns. “We’re not there to be yes men or yes women to CPD, we are there to be able to get information directly to be able to take it back to the community,” Cox said. Young told ABC 6 that panel members will be applying pressure on department leaders. He believes this effort could be a good step in moving CPD and the community forward. "It’s extremely important for them to listen to, take note, contemplate and consider the voices of the community, the needs of the community and then take genuine actions and steps to apply some of those things," Young said. The group will be meeting with the chief once a month. ABC 6 was told those chosen have a history of community service work in the city. The department is currently looking to add more members to the panel.
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