Following three months of intensive research, training, and discussion, the ad-hoc Citizens Advisory Panel on Public Safety presented its final report and recommendations to City Council.
The panel’s findings and recommendations are based on data and information provided by the Greenville Police Department (GPD), the City of Greenville Human Resources Department, national research, publications, and webinars by leading experts and organizations; participation in GPD’s simulation training; and the results of a local community-wide survey.
The general recommendations addressed topics such as leadership and strategic planning, building trust between the Black, Latinx, other communities of color, community policing, and addressing mental/behavioral health, domestic violence, juvenile justice, child welfare and other areas that require specialized expertise.
The panel was established during the June 22 council meeting. Mayor Knox White and the six members of council each selected a nominee. The slate of nominees was approved by council vote on July 13. The panel was tasked with reviewing:
GPD policies, including the use of force policy, body-worn camera policies, K9 policies and training policies and de-escalation tactics GPD minority hiring practices and developing recommendations for improvement The composition, duties and responsibilities of the Public Safety Citizen Review Board
“Some will say our work went too far, others will say that our work did not go far enough, but what our work has done is advance the work of becoming a more just and compassionate community. I can assure you that our work was not a check the box or fill in the blank exercise. What we presented today is the beginning and not the conclusion of the hard work and action needed for our community to become a safe place for all,” said Panel Chairman Reverend Stacey Mills during the formal presentation to City Council.
The committee’s report includes dozens of recommendations divided into four action areas: revisions to GPD’s policies on the use of force, service dogs, and body worn cameras; strategies to improve GPD’s efforts to recruit, hire, and retain Black, Latinx, Asian, and female officers; changes to the Public Safety Citizens Review Board’s policies and procedures to increase its effectiveness and raise public awareness of the City’s complaint and appeals process; and general recommendations designed to help transform GPD’s overall workplace culture, support the implementation of policy changes, and facilitate the development of a collaborative, partner-driven public safety system for all Greenville citizens.
The report also emphasizes the importance of
